Robin's Summer Of Uncertainty

Despite the spectre of starting next season under a new manager, the coming weeks will be markedly calmer than last summer for Robin van Persie.

Eleven months ago, the Dutch striker announced his intention to leave Arsenal, prompting a sustained spell of uncertainty before he ultimately secured a transfer to Old Trafford.

The decision was swiftly validated, with van Persie ending the campaign a Barclays Premier League champion and the division's top scorer. Looking back, he concedes that last summer was an undulating time in his life.

"It was [difficult] because it wasn’t only me who decided where I went to play," Robin exclusively told MUTV. "I also depended on my former club as well and how they saw it. And then of course you always have these games that the directors play.

"It’s a bit like a rollercoaster. Some days it is looking good and other days it is worse. You don’t really know what to expect because things can change so quickly. It normally depends on the player and the two teams, but in my case, there were two other teams involved as well.

"One was [Manchester] City and the other one was Juventus. So it was a bit hectic but I always wanted this transfer from day one. Me and Sir Alex knew that it would be a bumpy road, but I think that it shows that if you really want something then nothing is impossible. I am glad it happened."

The Dutchman's transfer owed much to a lengthy negotiation process between two of his former managers - Sir Alex and Arsene Wenger - and he vividly recalls the moment he heard that a deal would go through.

"I was in the coach and just about to play with Holland," he said. "There are no phones allowed in there but I just kept it on me just in case. When I heard a small buzz, I looked at it and saw a text from my agent that read: ‘The deal is done, enjoy the game’.

"It was a big relief. I wasn’t fined for using my phone either! It was weird because they announced it on TV during the game, which I didn’t know – I thought it was only me who knew. From that moment, everything went so quickly.

"The next day, I had to come for my medical. I went by train from Brussels to London to get my bits and pieces and then onto Manchester. The next one and a half days was very hectic, I had my first training session and then two days later we had to play Everton.

"When you go to high school and you are about twelve years old, you wake up early and are nervous about seeing your new class-mates. It was very similar to be fair, although I knew most of them. But it was like that. I came in, gave everyone a handshake and we had some jokes and some smiles, so it felt good from day one."