Robin van Persie is arguably one of the greatest strikers in Premier League history, and certainly among the best of his generation. He has succeeded in Turkey, England and his home country of the Netherlands, making a name for himself at Arsenal. The Dutchman spent eight years in north London, ranking as the club’s eighth-highest goalscorer of all-time with 132 strikes.
Trophies were scarce with the Gunners, as he only lifted an FA Cup during his time there. His controversial 2012 move to Manchester United was immediately justified when he won the Premier League title in his first season under Sir Alex Ferguson. He also made 102 appearances for his country, expanding the large pool of immense talents he played alongside during his 18-year playing career. But who does he rank as the best? In 2023, van Persie revealed the six most talented players he played with.
Robin van Persie Premier League Stats
Team
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Dennis Bergkamp
Arsenal
Dennis Bergkamp in action for Arsenal in the Premier League
Dennis Bergkamp’s tenure at Arsenal shortly overlapped with Van Persie’s, but the limited time they played together had a profound effect on him. Bergkamp was nearing the end of his career, retiring in 2006, while van Persie joined the Gunners in 2004. In fact, he was brought to the club as a long-term replacement for his compatriot. The pair played two seasons together, and linked up on a couple of occasions, Bergkamp providing assists for two Van Persie goals. They never appeared on the international stage together, with Bergkamp earning his last cap in 2000, five years before van Persie debuted.
Thierry Henry
Arsenal
Thierry Henry Arsenal
Van Persie enjoyed an extra season alongside Thierry Henry, and he learned just as much from the Frenchman. After the retirement of Bergkamp in 2006, the pair regularly played together in attack, and in their three seasons helped lead Arsenal to top four finishes. Their only trophy won was an FA Cup, though their lack of team success did not take away from the individual displays of the duo. After leaving in 2007, a brief loan spell brought Henry back to Arsenal, reuniting the duo in the second half of the 2011/12 season. They featured in six games together in all competitions that year, before Henry returned to MLS.
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Ryan Giggs
Manchester United
Ryan Giggs in action for Manchester United
Like Bergkamp and Henry, Ryan Giggs played alongside van Persie in the latter stages of his career. They only shared two seasons together, but enjoyed brilliant success, winning the Premier League title in 2013. Giggs assisted Van Persie for five goals during this spell. In their second season as teammates, under David Moyes, the Welshman took the rare step of becoming a player-coach. When Moyes was sacked in April 2014, Giggs became interim player-coach, making him vVn Persie’s boss. He only played three games under his teammate, starting just once, but netted one goal against Hull City off the bench in a 3-1 win.
Paul Scholes
Manchester United
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Paul Scholes and van Persie were teammates for just one season, but it resulted in a Premier League title. Scholes, one of the greatest midfielders in Premier League history, had announced his retirement from football at the end of the 2010/11 season, joining the club’s coaching staff a year before van Persie signed. But he could not stay away from football for long, as he rejoined the squad in January 2012 before Van Persie arrived six months later. They shared the pitch on 14 occasions during their brief spell as teammates. Despite their limited playing time, the Dutchman could see Scholes’ ability and work ethic up close daily at the training ground, which left a significant mark on van Persie.
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Wayne Rooney
Manchester United
Wayne Rooney in action for Manchester United
Wayne Rooney and Van Persie proved a formidable pairing, with the pair combining for 38 goals in their title-winning season of 2012/13, in which the latter won the Golden Boot with 26. Rooney played a more secondary role to van Persie in the final season of Sir Alex Ferguson’s career, but was an excellent complement to the Dutchman’s skill set. Rooney saw himself benched early in favour of his new teammate, but soon regained his place in the lineup to great success. The pair linked up frequently, with the Dutchman scoring nine goals assisted by Rooney and the Englishman scoring five assisted by Van Persie over three seasons.
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Netherlands
Ruud van Nistelrooy celebrates scoring for Manchester United.
Van Persie and Ruud van Nistelrooy share the similarity that they are two Dutch forwards who played for Manchester United. However, van Persie’s time at Old Trafford was much later than his compatriot, who played for the Red Devils between 2001 and 2006. But they did play together on the international stage, scoring a combined 85 goals for the Netherlands. Over the course of six years, they featured in the squad 25 times together, sharing the pitch in 16 of those games. They also represented their country at the 2006 World Cup, as well as the 2008 European Championships. Van Nistelrooy was left out of the squad for the 2010 World Cup, but made his last appearances for his country in 2011 as an injury replacement for Van Persie.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt - correct as of 09/03/25