Robin van Persie says he is looking forward to being the coach of his own life as he prepares for his retirement, but has not decided if he will return to the game.
The 35-year-old started his career with Feyenoord and went on to represent Arsenal, Manchester United and Fenerbahce before returning to the Rotterdam side in January 2018.
A Premier League and FA Cup winner as well as his country’s all-time top scorer, Van Persie said he will “probably” call time on a successful career at the end of the season, but he is excited to step into a new life, even though he does not know what he will do next.
“I was on a good holiday in Dubai – 12 days with friends and family,” he told NOS. “Nemanja Vidic was there as well. He has been retired for three and a half years and said very fittingly: ‘When you retire, you have to be the coach of your own life’.
“Everything is arranged for [players], a team manager and a coach tell you what to do, we are just children often going on school trips. If that disappears, you have to become the coach of your own life. Is that difficult when your whole life is thought out for you? Yes, but I’m going to try it.
“I won’t have to do anything anymore, I’m going to swim, play table tennis, tennis, football. I like that a lot. Then when there is a time I can’t do anything, without thinking: there will be another competition soon.”
The Dutchman has not decided if he will return to football as a coach, but has already talked to the Dutch Football Association director Eric Gudde about the possibility of getting his certificates.
“I think [coaching] is nice, but I don’t know,” he said. “I had contact with Eric Gudde and he provided options for my eventual trajectory, but nothing has been decided yet.”
Van Persie has scored seven goals in 13 Eredivisie appearances for Feyenoord this season. Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men sit third in the table, 12 points behind leaders PSV.