Manchester United have numerous former players in management at present.
The most obvious example is the club’s current permanent manager, Michael Carrick.
Although not a former player but an assistant manager, Kieran McKenna has also just led Ipswich Town back into the Premier League.
Robin van Persie
The Dutchman joined Manchester United in 2012 and scored 30 goals as the club retained the Premier League title from Manchester City.
He would play for a further two seasons at United, before moving on to Fenerbahce and Feyenoord prior to retiring from professional football.
Managerial career
Van Persie managed Heerenveen in the 2024-2025 season before being appointed to the Feyenoord hotseat.
He won the manager of the month award in August 2025 and was backed by pundit Ruud Gullit to get the Manchester United job one day.
Sack
Unfortunately for the former Manchester United striker, Feyenoord have not had the best of seasons, finishing second but a massive 19 points behind PSV Eindhoven.
The side also exited the Europa League in the league phase and were disappointingly knocked out in the second round of the Dutch cup.
Therefore, the club announced that “Feyenoord parts ways with Robin van Persie. Feyenoord will start the 2026-2027 season with a new head coach. The club would like to thank Robin van Persie for everything he gave during his time as head coach.”
Feyenoord parts ways with Robin van Persie
Feyenoord will start the 2026-2027 season with a new head coach. The club would like to thank Robin van Persie for everything he gave during his time as head coach. pic.twitter.com/P9UkuUGUnv
— Feyenoord Rotterdam (@Feyenoord) June 7, 2026
Technical Director Dévy Rigaux stated, “Robin van Persie has given everything for the club over the past 18 months. He deserves credit for guiding the team through a challenging season and ultimately securing second place. That ensured qualification for the UEFA Champions League, which is of great importance to the club.”
Van Persie’s “tactical approach and man-management skills have been questioned throughout his brief stint” as Feyenoord boss in spite of their second-place finish.
Van Persie's managerial stats
| Season | Club | Win % |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-2025 | Heerenveen | 35 |
| 2025-2026 | Feyenoord | 52 |
Source: wikipedia
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