Arsenal: 7 former players who ruined their legacy

Robin van Persie – The little boy inside

Robin van Persie was signed by Arsenal from Feyenoord in May 2004. He would go on to become a star for the club. In his eight seasons in north London, Van Persie scored 132 goals in 278 appearances. He became a fan favorite and the Gunners’ main striker after the departure of Thierry Henry in 2008.

The Dutchman signed a new long-term contract with the club in 2009 and when it was announced, Van Persie said, “My heart is with Arsenal and I just can’t picture myself in a different shirt.”

Van Persie’s most prolific season with the Gunners took place in 2011/2012 when the club captain scored 37 goals in all competitions. He was the winner of the Premier League Golden Boot with 30 goals. He was unreal.

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Following that season van Persie announced that he would not be signing a new contract with Arsenal and he wanted to leave the club. Though Wenger tried to keep his talisman, Van Persie eventually signed a four-year £24m deal to join the much-hated rivals, Manchester United.

At his initial press conference with United, van Persie explained the reason for his move to Manchester:

"“It is always quite difficult to find a perfect match but I do feel that this is perfect for me. Manchester United breathe football and if you look at all the players, the stadium and the manager, my choice was made very soon in my mind if you were basing it on those two clubs. “I always listen to the little boy inside of me in these situations – when you have to make the harder decisions in life. What does he want? That boy was screaming for Man United.”"

That hurt. Gooners have never let him forget that statement about the little boy inside him.

Van Persie got what he wanted in his first season with United as they won the 2012/2013 Premier League title. When Alex Ferguson announced his retirement at the end of that campaign, the news caught Van Persie off guard. He spent two more seasons in Manchester before finishing out his career with Fenerbahce and his former boyhood club Feyenoord.

In a 2019 interview with the BBC, van Persie sort of offered an apology to the Arsenal fans that he may have hurt.

"“At crucial moments you have to make tough decisions. It was a very tough decision and I get that fans were angry as I was the captain and top scorer. Sometimes you feel like you need a challenge and new adventure. If I hurt people I’m sorry. I made that decision and I stand by it.”"

The “apology” seemed hollow and didn’t change how the Gunners faithful view their one-time hero. He’s still a Judas.