'Very serious candidate': Man United hero Robin van Persie close to first ever manager job

At the risk of making you all feel a little older, did you know that four members of the Manchester United squad who last won the Premier League title back in 2012/13 have had spells in management?

Ryan Giggs took charge of Wales, Wayne Rooney has had spells at the helm of Derby County and Birmingham City in England’s second tier, Michael Carrick is doing a fine job at Middlesbrough, while Tom Cleverley in now the interim boss at Watford.

Darren Fletcher and Phil Jones, meanwhile, are both working behind the scenes at Manchester United these days too.

And, after celebrating his 40 birthday last year, the man who’s stunning hat-trick secured Sir Alex Ferguson’s 13 and final title in the Old Trafford dugout is reportedly a ‘very serious candidate’ to take on the first-ever managerial role of his own.

Manchester United hero could get first manager’s job

Robin van Persie, Dutch publication Algemeen Dagblad reports, is viewed as the favourite at Heerenveen to take over from the departing Kees van Wonderen at the end of the current campaign.

Van Persie, the report adds, is close to earning the required coaching badges. He previously worked alongside Ferry de Haan – the Heerenveen technical director – at Feyenoord, with talks now underway between the Netherlands’ all-time record goalscorer and the Frisian outfit.

Van Persie, who’s arrival from Arsenal over a decade ago, helped ease the pain of that Sergio Aguero goal, recently returned to Carrington back in February. And Rasmus Hojlund did not waste the opportunity to pick the brains of a striker who – until Marcus Rashford did the same in 2023 – was the only Man United player since Wayne Rooney to hit 30 goals in a season.

“Rasmus was there, came over to me and Fletch having a chat about things. What I loved is he saw Robin van Persie and said to Darren; ‘can I get five minutes with him, with Robin van Persie?’,” Rio Ferdinand told his Five podcast recently.

“Robin says ‘yeah come man’. They went away and come back 10 to 15 minutes later.

“Robin says he’s asking a lot of questions, the sign of someone who wants to learn, a student. Its nice that humility and humbleness to show. It bodes well for the future of this club.”

Robin van Persie is helping Rasmus Hojlund

It may be no coincidence that, after a brief chat with one of the finest goalscorers of his generation, Hojlund then enjoyed the best spell of form in his still embryonic Manchester United career.

“Every player for Manchester United, from the past, is welcome. We want to help them,” Erik ten Hag said of the Flying Dutchman’s flying visit (MUTV).

“We go to serve them and so for his Pro Licence and to learn, it’s good to have him around here. I hope he has carried a lot of information which will help him in the future but, of course, also to pass his Pro Licence.

“It’s great to have such, say, icons of Manchester United around. And as I said, also others are very welcome. We want to help them. I think we have a lot of experience here and a lot of competencies. So then we can learn from each other. And so, we are happy to do this.”

Another former Man United striker – and Van Persie’s ex-Oranje team-mate – Ruud van Nistelrooy has also been linked with the Heerenveen job.