Robin van Persie will start as SC Heerenveen manager next season

Robin van Persie will take over as the next manager at SC Heerenveen starting with the upcoming football season after signing a two-year deal, the Frisian club announced on Friday. Van Persie is the all-time top scorer of the Dutch men’s national team with 50 goals in 102 international matches.

Van Persie will take over for Kees van Wonderen in Heerenveen, and will say goodbye to his current role as youth trainer at Feyenoord, where he leads the under-18 team. Van Persie, who previously played for Feyenoord, Arsenal, Manchester United and Fenerbahçe, said he wants to gain experience as a head coach.

The 40-year-old was not in the running as a successor to Arne Slot, who will probably leave Feyenoord for Liverpool. Van Persie ended his professional career with Feyenoord in 2019, and returned a year later as a trainer at the Rotterdam club. He coached several youth teams there and also trained the attackers for the first team.

“The coaching profession is comprehensive and challenging, and I practice it with great passion and pleasure,” said Van Persie in a statement published on the sc Heerenveen website. “I would like to continue my development and the role of manager fits in perfectly with that goal. I am therefore pleased with the opportunity that Heerenveen has offered me,” he continued.

“SC Heerenveen is a very nice Eredivisie club with a rich tradition and loyal supporters. It is a fantastic challenge to be able to contribute here as manager to the sporting ambitions and development of the club.”

Van Persie is bringing Brian Pinas to Friesland. Pinas will assist the former top striker together with Paul Simonis, Henk Brugge and goalkeeping coach Ruud Hesp. In addition, specialist development coach Nico Romeijn and video analyst Yöri Bosschaart will also come over from Feyenoord.

General manager Ferry de Haan was impressed during conversations with Van Persie, he said. “Although Robin is at the beginning of his career as manager, he immediately convinced us. He is an ambitious, enthusiastic and eager-to-learn trainer. I think he really knows how to reach a group, how to enthuse and motivate. Also he has a clear vision on the individual development of players, both in team training and in individual guidance.”