Van Persie hints at Arsenal stay

Arsenal captain Robin van Persie has dropped his strongest hint yet of his intention to remain at the Emirates.

RVP has 18 months left on his contract, and with the likes of Manchester City and Barcelona sniffing around, the Gunners are understandably anxious to tie the striker down to a new long term contract.

Van Persie netted his 35th goal of 2011 against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday and in doing so, broke Thierry Henry’s record of 34 goals in a calendar year.

Arsenal fans have much to look forward to in 2012 and after an abject start to the season due in no small part to the disruption caused by injuries and the number of new players gelling, Arsenal have returned to the top four of the Premier League.

The likes of Jack Wilshere, Bacary Sagna and Thomas Vermaelen will all be available for selection by mid February but it is Van Persie who has been integral to Arsenal’s revival in recent months and the dominance shown by the talismanic striker in front of goal may well be aligned to his home life.

“We love the life in London and I enjoy watching my kids grow up here,” said Van Persie. “They grow up like the English kids with good manners and values of England.

“The place where we live, just outside the city, is fantastic. We have everything we want.

“The English people are so incredibly polite where I live. People are nice here. That makes life a real pleasure.

“My children have become more English than Dutch. They have taken up the culture and values of England.

“It makes me melt at times when I see how well my children are doing here. When Shaqueel has half-term with school, he does not want to go back to the Netherlands any more.”

Van Persie also paid tribute to the Arsenal fans for the support they show him, admitting it gives him an extra boost to do well.

“It is the biggest compliment I could wish for,” added Van Persie. “Arsenal fans are real lovers of the game.

“They don’t miss anything in the stadium and are there for the team and the individual players.

“I have to admit I love banners like ‘We don’t need Batman, we’ve got Robin’ and stuff like that.

“I also love it when I run on to the pitch and I hear the entire crowd roar. What bigger compliment could I wish for as player?

“At Arsenal, the fans so want me to do well. And that gives me a kick. That’s what I do it for. As a thank you, I want to give them so much in return on the pitch.”

Posted by MarkG on January 1, 2012. Filed under Arsenal, FA Barclays Premiership. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.