Former Holland striker, Robin van Persie, has explained why he turned down Erik ten Hag’s offer to return to Manchester United and be part of his coaching team.
Ten Hag considered appointing Van Persie as one of his assistants after signing a three-year deal with the Premier League side.
But Van Persie snubbed United’s approach, with family commitments playing a significant role in his decision.
His son Shaqueel is currently playing in the Feyenoord academy, while his daughter Dina is a keen horse-rider.
“Dina succeeded in doing that with horse riding, she’s totally into it, and Shaqueel has the same thing with soccer. My wife, Bouchra, is developing all her talents with our projects and that’s great to see. We’re enjoying ourselves together.
“In London, when I played at Arsenal, we moved five times. We also lived in Manchester and Istanbul. All in all, we were away for almost fourteen years.
“But then we thought “what’s good for the kids now?” and felt a little stability would be nice,” Van Persie told the Life After Football magazine.
Van Persie scored 58 goals in 105 appearances for United and won the Premier League title after his controversial move from Arsenal.
