All good things must come to an end. After an incredible 18 year career, the great Robin van Persie has decided to hang up his boots following spells at Arsenal, Manchester United and Fenerbahce, among others.
The 35-year-old fittingly played his last game for current side Feyenoord on Sunday afternoon, a team he played for as a youth player, against ADO Ten Haag in the league.
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It was a special moment for the Dutch striker, who scored over 250 goals in a career full of honours.
He even posted footage on his social media as he made his way to the ground.
Feyenoord are actually set to play their final league game away to Fortuna Sittard on Wednesday night, but Van Persie wanted to finish his career in front of his family and friends:
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"The goal was go out with honour because football is my passion." he told a press conference ahead of the match.
"I'm glad I made that choice already because I've had a whole year to get mentally prepared for retirement. If I had only taken the decision a few weeks ago, it would have been difficult to let it sink it in such a short period of time."
A large banner with the words "Legends Are Forever" greeted the striker on his arrival, as he exchanged flowers with the opposition before kick-off and he received a guard of honour as he was subbed off in injury time.
It appears Van Persie will not go into coaching after his retirement, referencing "stress" as a reason not to go into management:
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"To become a coach means stress," he said.
"If you do it the way Pep Guardiola does, you're busy with football day and night.
"Look at how Marco van Basten was treated as a coach. The magic disappeared. It's a hard business and first I'm getting away for a while."
Thank you for the memories, Robin.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: SPORT, Football News, fenerbahce, Football, Manchester United, Robin van Persie, Premier League, Arsenal, Feyenoord
