The two reasons why Van Persie will reject Man United coaching return
For Manchester United fans, the idea of Robin van Persie forming part of Erik ten Hag’s coaching staff at Old Trafford is a fascinating one. It’s exciting for all he did as a player, with his 26 goals leading United to their most recent Premier League title in 2012/13, and for what he is doing as a coach, having already occupied various roles at Feyenoord.
However, it appears that Van Persie is going to stay put in Rotterdam for the time being. Even though Ten Hag wanted the 38-year-old to form part of his backroom staff alongside Steve McClaren and Mitchell van der Gaag - the other likely options to accompany the incoming head coach - the timing isn’t quite right.
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Van Persie will stay at Feyenoord because of family commitments
According to the Daily Mail’s Rob Draper, who has been reporting on the possibility of RVP returning to Old Trafford from the start, the Dutchman will reject the opportunity at this point in time because of family commitments.
He has been back in the Netherlands since his 2018 transfer from Fenerbahçe to Feyenoord as a player and doesn’t want to move his family away from his home country again so early into his coaching journey.
Robin van Persie is likely to stay in Holland at Feyenoord because of family commitments rather than joining Manchester United. #MUFC [@draper_rob]
— mufcmpb (@mufcMPB) April 16, 2022
Van Persie may also have had work permit difficulties
Another reason why the Dutchman won’t be coming back to Old Trafford this summer is that he might not have been able to secure the necessary paperwork. As ESPN have explained, the new post-Brexit rules mean that all overseas footballing professionals moving to the UK must be granted a Governing Body Exemption (GBE) to be able to work. For top-level players and coaches, this is rarely an issue, but Van Persie might not qualify since he is only just starting out.
How long has Van Persie been coaching at Feyenoord?
The former striker has been involved in the coaching setup at the Feyenoord Stadium since the summer of 2020, a year after he hung up his boots. He initially worked as an assistant for the first team, helping coach the forwards, while he has spent the 2021/22 season as a youth coach with the U16s and as an assistant during first-team training sessions, where he has been helping Arne Slot.
