Van Persie makes a stand

Robin van Persie has joined the ranks of those professing a desire to one day return to play for their boyhood club. He was in Rotterdam yesterday to open a stand named in his honour at SBV Excelsior a club based in his home town of Rotterdam.

Robin played for the newly promoted Eredivisie club as a youth player from the age of 5 until he left them to join much grander Feyenoord at 16. At the ceremony on thursday at the Stadion Woudestein Van Persie was appointed Ambassador of Excelsior and spoke of his wish to wear Excelsior colours again.

"I do not know when," he told Dutch radio. "Whether I'm 33 or 38 I do not know, but I would like to return as a player at Excelsior. I started here so I feel it would complete the circle for me."

"Many people forget that for me it all started with Excelsior. I had already been playing football for some time before I could be seen on TV playing for Feyenoord. From the age of five onwards I was to be found almost daily at Excelsior. That time was great."

Though Arsene Wenger said yesterday only that Robin is still a little longer from returning to the team than the 10 days before we see Sagna and Vermaelen back the player believes he isn`t far away.

"The end is in sight," he said. "Once I'm back on the field it`ll take 10 days to get match ready."

Dutch national coach van Marwijk even feels that Robin could make next month`s friendly against Turkey on November the 17th though I would hope common sense prevails and he takes as few risks as possible if we are ever to see what we`d hoped for from him this season.

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