There are now several former Arsenal stars taking roles in coaching as they attempt to follow Mikel Arteta’s example.
Arteta joined Manchester City as a coach after retiring from football, before returning to the Emirates in 2019 in his first managerial job.
The Spaniard is not the only former Arsenal captain in a role at the club, with Per Mertesacker in charge of the Academy, and others are thriving elsewhere.
Cesc Fabregas is a coach at Italian side Como, whilst Patrick Vieira is head coach of French side RC Strasbourg, and another old captain is now taking the next step into his own coaching career.
Former striker Robin van Persie has now taken his first managerial job, as he has now been confirmed as head coach of Dutch side Heerenveen.
Former Arsenal captain Robin van Persie announced as Heerenveen manager
Van Persie was sensational at Arsenal, but he burned his bridges with the fans after a highly controversial move to Manchester United in 2012.
The Dutchman scored 132 goals in 278 appearances for Arsenal, but his move was a messy one as he published a statement on his website attacking the club hierarchy, before joining heated rivals in United.
He retired from football in 2019, and has since been coaching youth sides at Feyenoord, but has now taken the step up into senior management.
After being linked with the job following the announcement that Kees van Wonderen would depart Heerenveen at the end of this season in March, they have now confirmed that Van Persie will be their next coach.
Robin van Persie excited about first managerial role
Speaking after his appointment, Van Persie claimed he was excited to take the next step in his development as a coach.
“I would like to continue my development and the role of head coach fits in perfectly with that goal,” he stated.
“Heerenveen is a very nice Premier League club with a rich tradition and loyal supporters.
“It is a fantastic challenge to contribute to the sporting ambitions and development of the club as head coach.”
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Heerenveen are currently in 10th place in the Eredivisie, and Van Persie will hope to make an impact at the club to prove that he can translate his ability as a player into his coaching.