Viv Miedema modelled herself on Van Persie – Thankyou Robin

Can we finally have a reason to thank Robin Van Persie?

If ever there was a time to say thank you to our old Dutch striker who left us for Manchester United when we really needed him the most, then it would be now.

It appears that he was the idol for our current young women’s Dutch striker Vivianne Miedema. Apparently she used to watch him when she was younger and it is clear to see, because actually some of the goals she scores and runs she makes are a replica of the ones Robin Van Persie used to score and make too, I have to say.

Speaking to the Arsenal website, Viv herself has confirmed that watching the likes of Van Persie influenced her decision to want to become a footballer, stating:

“When I was younger, I would watch a lot of men’s football and Robin van Persie was the big example for me, mostly because he was around at the time that I started to watch football on TV. We didn’t get too many English games in Holland, but I was smart enough to find it online and would watch him play for Arsenal and then Manchester United as well. He was a great example for me and was probably the most influential striker for me. Then there were the other Dutch players, like Ruud van Nistelrooy and Dirk Kuyt, who were big players as well so I would watch videos of them.”

So, thank you Robin, for playing at times, how you did at Arsenal.

And so it seems that with Robin’s distant mentoring, the Netherlands women’s team and now the Arsenal ladies have both been graced with one of the best, if not THE best strikers in the world in our ranks and she can only get better, maybe even better than Robin himself. Gooners?

Shenel Osman