Netherlands’ top scorer of all time announces retirement

Former Netherlands, Manchester United and Arsenal forward, Robin van Persie has announced he will retire from professional football. The Feyenoord striker will hang up his boots after the ongoing Eredivisie campaign.

Talking to told a Dutch publication, AD, Persie said, “When I have to stop? That is probably at the end of this season. I will be 36 years old and will have been a professional for 18 years. From the age of five, I’ve only been involved in football.”

On retirement

The Netherlands striker said he is not enjoying the sport as he used to. He said, “I had lost the fun. That’s not how I wanted to end, without pleasure.”

When asked whether his return to boyhood club Feyenoord was successful, van Persie said, ” I also do not believe that my return to Feyenoord has only been successful if we win the title. How is it successful? This is actually it, if you look at the whole picture. I had lost the fun. That’s not how I wanted to end, without pleasure. The fun has returned at Feyenoord.”

National and Premier League career

Robin van Persie played over 100 times for the Netherlands national team and has scored 50 goals for the Netherlands, making him their top scorer of all time. He was also named as the Dutch Football Talent of the Year in the second senior year (2002). Persie represented his country at the three FIFA World Cups (2006, 2010 and 2014), and two UEFA European Championships (2008 and 2012).

In England, Robin van Persie made 194 appearances for Arsenal (2004-2012), netting 96 goals. At Manchester United (2012-2015), van Persie scored 48 goals in 86 appearances. With Manchester United, van Persie won the 2012–13 Premier League title. The same year, he was the league’s top scorer with 26 goals, winning his second consecutive Premier League Golden Boot award.