Former Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has explained how Sir Alex Ferguson was the deciding factor in his decision to move to Manchester United instead of Manchester City or Juventus.
The Dutchman signed for the Red Devils from rivals Arsenal in a £22m deal in 2012 and guided the club to their 20th league title by scoring 26 goals in his debut season at the theatre of dreams.
Van Persie had only one year left on his deal at the Emirates and it had been Italian side Juventus and City that were competing over his signature.
But, United entered the race when it became clear that Van Persie was available and the Dutchman revealed it was Ferguson and his winning mentality that made him choose the Red devils.
‘Ferguson made the difference for me in my choice to choose Manchester United,’ Van Persie told Premier League productions.
‘Because of the way he manages, the stories I heard, because of the players that were there.
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‘I really wanted to win and when I look at that team of Giggs, Carrick, Scholes, Vidic, Ferdinand they were all winners, they won it all.
‘I was like ‘I want to be part of that’. I was in that period of my life where I felt like a winner but I wasn’t so I had to win. I needed to go to a team that knew how to win.’
The Dutchman spent a further two years at the club after Ferguson’s retirement but the Scot’s decision had an effect on the forward.
Van Persie struggled to stay fit under current West Ham manager David Moyes and also fell out with Louis van Gaal after his first 12 months at Old Trafford.
