Former striker Robin van Persie lands first managerial job

Robin van Persie has taken up his inaugural managerial responsibilities and will lead the Eredivisie side SC Heerenveen.

Players becoming coaches and managers is not a surprising feat. One could argue it is the easiest way to continue to remain part of the game even after one’s body has retired.

What makes things especially nice, however, is when these players get a chance to lead the very sides which made them who they are. Thus there is special poetry to see the likes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lead Manchester United or see someone like Mikel Arteta try and take Arsenal back to the pinnacle of English football.

With the likes of Wayne Rooney already on managerial duty, we can now add another formidable striker to that list.

Robin van Persie has been appointed as the manager of FC Heerenveen.

Speaking about the new role, Van Persie states: “I would like to continue my development and the role of head coach fits in perfectly with that goal. I am therefore pleased with the opportunity that Heerenveen offers me.”

Now all that remains to be seen is how successful the Dutch striker will be in engineering a team worthy of wins.

In fact, fans of Feyenoord, Arsenal, and Manchester United may already be salivating at the possibility of Van Persie someday playing the all-important role for one of the clubs that moulded him to become the legend he is today.

Such a development also marks much nostalgia for those supporters who would feel like it was just yesterday that these players were making their mark on the pitch. Now, the veterans are ready to sculpt the next generation of formidable talent.