HOLLAND superstar Robin van Persie last night revealed his heartache at missing out on a stunning move to Rangers.
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NEARLY MAN: Van Persie
The Arsenal hero will try to shatter Scotland’s World Cup hopes in Amsterdam tomorrow, but he admitted for the first time he could have done it as an Ibrox ace.
In today’s market Van Persie would fetch £25million, but when Ibrox director of football Dick Advocaat called to ask if he wanted to move to Glasgow in 2002, the then 18-year-old was up for grabs at just £4m.
Rangers tried to fund the deal by flogging fringe players, but they couldn’t get them off the books and Van Persie eventually headed for the Gunners.
The 25-year-old striker said: “Dick Advocaat told me that he first needed to sell some players before he could buy. That is why it dragged on and did not happen.
“If Rangers had made Feyenoord an offer at that time, it would have happened, I have no doubt about that. I would have gone to Rangers.
“My European debut was against Rangers at Ibrox and that was a fantastic moment for me.
“So when I heard about Rangers’ interest I sat by the phone hoping it would ring and that it would happen for me. I was in a difficult situation at my club and desperate to leave.
“Rangers are a massive team – like Celtic. I speak to my friend Glenn Loovens quite a lot and he tells me stories about the stadium and Scotland itself.
“But the problem was Rangers couldn’t put in an offer and then I left to join Arsenal.”
Van Persie feels George Burley’s choice
of goalkeeper has played into
Dutch hands.
Craig Gordon
has been axedin favour of
Allan McGregor and Van Persie is
stunned.
He said: “That
surprises mebecause I know
Gordon is a very good
goalkeeper. We are quite fortunate with
that.”
All the chat ahead of tomorrow’s
Group Nine clash is about the Euro
2004 play-off game when the
Dutch won 6-0.
Van Persie
dreams of a repeat but insisted
Scotland are now tougher nuts to
crack. He said: “The chances of
something like that happening
again are quite small. I rate
Scotland higher than the other
teams.
“They could get
a point against us at
least, why not? When you look
at our games against smaller
teams, we always
struggle. It is hard for us to break
the teams down.”
Van Persie
reckons fellow
Premiership st ar Darren Fletcher is the Scot to fear.
The Arsenal striker said: “Fl etcher is a really good
player. “It seem Sir
Alex Ferguson keeps
himfor the big
games – that shows he
trusts him when it
matters.
“Fletcher is
the main Scottish
player. He is the face of Scotland. He
never stops moving. I like
him a lot.”
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