Van Persie gives son debut 'as a coach - not as a dad'

"I made that call as a coach, not as a dad because we needed a goal,"

"Shaqueel is a player who can score a goal from all angles. That was the reason I brought him on."

"From a father's point of view, when your son makes his debut that is always a special moment. But I wasn't that busy with enjoying that moment, I was doing my work like Shaqueel was."

"I am proud of Shaqueel because, like every player who makes his debut, there is a whole process going on before he made his debut. He worked hard, deserved it and, for him, is a special moment."

Shaqueel van Persie spent two seasons at Manchester City's academy before joining Feyenoord in 2017 and signing his first professional contract in 2022. He was named in Feyenoord's first-team squad for an Eredivisie match in 2025 and made his senior debut in a Europa League game against Celtic, entering in the 81st minute. The score was 2-1 when he came on and Celtic scored a third goal a minute later. Shaqueel had one shot in the box during his brief appearance. Robin van Persie said the substitution was a coaching decision based on the need for a goal and praised Shaqueel's hard work and deserved debut.

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