Jack Wilshere has shed fascinating insight into the demands ‘OCD’ Robin van Persie put on his teammates while at Arsenal.
Van Persie was a fine finisher with 144 goals in 280 Premier League appearances, in a fine career in England with the Gunners and Manchester United.
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And it’s clear a lot of that success was down to his meticulous preparation for matches. However, he needed the rest of the Arsenal team to buy into his obsession, too.
Former teammate Wilshere revealed all during his latest visit to the talkSPORT studios…
“I played with Van Persie who was really OCD about the defenders and where he wanted the passes,” Wilshere said on Drivetime. “He came towards you and made you think about it.
“Would he want it over the top? Did he have legs on him? Is he going to go long or come short? We’d have this conversation the day before.
“It put me under a bit of pressure because it was only my first season and Van Persie is an Arsenal great, one of the best strikers to have ever played for Arsenal.
“But it also made me feel good because he knew I could play those balls over the top and he came to me and asked how he’d want it.”
Van Persie retired in 2019 and although there weren’t a bucket load of trophies to show for his efforts, many who played alongside him regard him as one of the elite.
In a fan Q&A on Twitter on Thursday, former Gunners star Cesc Fabregas labelled the Dutchman as the most intelligent finisher he ever played with.
Considering he also played alongside Lionel Messi, that’s very good going!
Meanwhile, Theo Walcott revealed to talkSPORT earlier this year that he rated Van Persie as the finest goalscorer he’s ever seen – including Thierry Henry!
Walcott told talkSPORT in January: “My greatest teammate would have to be Van Persie.
“For me, he was the best finisher I’ve ever seen, he was better than Thierry Henry, he made it look so easy.
“If you gave it to him, he would score for you. He was a dream to play with, I don’t think there will be a player like him ever again.”