Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie was born on August 6, 1983. See ranking, bio blurb, and everyone else born that day.
About Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈrɔbɪɱ vɑm ˈpɛrsi] ; born 6 August 1983) is a Dutch football coach and former professional footballer. He last served as the head coach of Eredivisie club Feyenoord. He is regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation and was known for his technique, ball control, and vision. Starting his career as a winger, Van Persie made his senior debut for Feyenoord during the 2001–02 season, which culminated with victory in the 2002 UEFA Cup final; he was also named as the Dutch Football Talent of the Year. After five years with Feyenoord, he fell out with manager Bert van Marwijk, and he joined English club Arsenal in 2004 as a long-term replacement for compatriot Dennis Bergkamp. In his debut season, he scored several goals en route to the club's FA Cup win, and featured in their UEFA Champions League run to the final in 2005–06. Following the departures of Bergkamp and Thierry Henry, Van Persie was converted to a sole striker and went on to score 111 goals in his next 199 matches for the club. He was club captain for the 2011–12 season, during which he was awarded the PFA Players' Player of the Year, FWA Footballer of the Year, and the Premier League Golden Boot. Following disillusion with Arsenal's direction, Van Persie joined rivals Manchester United in July 2012. He was integral to United winning the Premier League title in his debut season, earning his second consecutive Premier League Golden Boot. After two injury-hit seasons followed, Van Persie fell out of favour at United and he was allowed to leave for Fenerbahçe in July 2015. During his spell in Turkey, Van Persie featured regularly in his first season, but saw limited playing time thereafter due to injuries, with both club and player agreeing to a buyout in January 2018. He then rejoined Feyenoord on a free transfer. By the end of the season he had helped his boyhood team win the Dutch Cup. After representing the Netherlands at under-17, under-19 and under-21 level, Van Persie made his senior international debut in 2005 in a friendly match against Romania. A month later, he scored his first senior international goal in a 4–0 win over Finland. Van Persie recorded over 100 caps and scored 50 goals for the Netherlands (he was the nation's all-time top goalscorer until 2025). From 2013 to 2015 served as the team's captain. He represented his country at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups, and the 2008 and 2012 UEFA European Championships, reaching the final in 2010 and winning bronze in 2014. After retirement, Van Persie transitioned into coaching. His first job was at Heerenveen, before being appointed head coach at his former club Feyenoord in February 2025. He was sacked in 2026 after a string of poor performances compounded by a tense playing environment.