Robin van Persie faced fellow former Premier League striker Fernando Torres on Tuesday afternoon as the Dutchman’s Feyenoord under-19 side faced the under-19 side of Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Youth League at the Varkenoord spots complex. It was the former Liverpool and Chelsea striker who’s team came out on top, beating van Persie’s team by one goal to nil after a goal from Iker Luque Sierra.
The former Arsenal and Manchester United striker was impressed by the managerial skills of his former Premier League competitor, saying after the game ‘As a trainer, you also see his signature on his team. I’ve looked at a lot of images of his team. They can play in a number of ways, very varied. You can see that he takes it incredibly seriously. I wouldn’t be surprised if he soon becomes head coach somewhere.’
Another memorable moment occurred at the Varkenoord as in the 56th minute Robin van Persie brought on his son, Shaqueel van Persie, to make his debut in the UEFA Youth League. The young striker had an opportunity in the final minutes of the game as a long-ball was hit forward, Shaqueel tried to score a goal his father would have been proud of as he acrobatically shot towards goal, however the ball narrowly missed the goal. Robin van Persie was not surprised by the effort of his son, saying he had ‘seen it in the garden’.
