Manchester United raised eyebrows when they signed Robin van Persie from Arsenal, luring Arsène Wenger’s star striker to Old Trafford.
Van Persie, who made the high-profile move in August 2012, has now opened up about why he made the decision. The transfer, which saw the Dutch forward leave the Emirates Stadium for £24m and a four-year contract, was met with shock by many. However, the move quickly paid off as he helped secure the Premier League title in his first season under Sir Alex Ferguson, his first major trophy since winning the FA Cup with the Gunners in 2005.
His departure added to the drama, with van Persie receiving a mixed reception of applause and boos from Arsenal fans upon his return to the Emirates, along with a guard of honour from his former teammates. He then went on to secure the Community Shield with United shortly after, following a 2-0 victory over Wigan Athletic at Wembley.
Despite becoming a controversial figure among Arsenal supporters, Van Persie has maintained that there are no hard feelings on either side regarding his move.
Speaking about his decision to join United, he said: “Everyone knows me by now. I’m a lover of football, and in that respect, I’m quite principled. It’s always difficult to find a perfect match, but I feel this was perfect for me.
“Manchester United breathe football. When you look at the players, the stadium, and the manager, my choice was made quickly in my mind when comparing the two clubs. I always listen to the little boy inside of me when making hard decisions in life. What does he want? That boy was screaming for Man United. This is like a family club. In that sense, it’s not much different from Arsenal.
“I want to make one thing clear, though – I don’t want things twisted. From my side, and from Arsenal’s side, there are no hard feelings. We had different views on certain elements, and that’s just how life is. No one is angry at me, and I’m not angry at them.”
Later, speaking to Premier League Productions, Van Persie added: “Ferguson made the difference for me in my choice to choose Manchester United. His management style, the stories I heard, and the players that were there made it clear. I really wanted to win, and when I looked at that team – (Ryan) Giggs, (Michael) Carrick, (Paul) Scholes, (Nemanja) Vidic, (Rio) Ferdinand – they were all winners, they had won everything.”
During his time at Arsenal, Van Persie came close to glory, finishing as Champions League runner-up in 2006 and League Cup runner-up in 2011. “I was at that point in my career where I felt like a winner, but I wasn’t actually winning. I needed to go to a team that knew how to win.”
The explosive encounter between Manchester United and Arsenal will take place at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon. The Red Devils are keen to get back on track with a win, while the Gunners aim to close the gap on table-toppers Liverpool.
