Former Arsenal, Manchester United and Netherlands striker Robin van Persie has heralded Arsene Wenger as the greatest manager he has played under.
The Dutchman, who recently returned to his first club side Feyenoord, played the majority of his career in the Premier League, becoming one of the leagues most revered forwards playing under the likes of Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson.
As quoted by The Metro, the 34-year-old - who is now back at his first club Feyenoord -has revealed that playing under Wenger for the Gunners had the biggest impact on his career.
He said: "Arsene is just the best manager in the world. This is why I want him to be successful with Arsenal.
"He deserves it. I owe everything to Arsene Wenger. He has been crucial for me in my development as a player and as a person.
"I only have warm memories. I enjoyed every day, every minute I worked, trained and played for Arsene."
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The news may come as a surprise, mainly because of van Persie's departure from the Emirates to join Ferguson at Manchester United in 2012 for £24m.
The Dutchman won the Premier League in his first and Ferguson's last season at Old Trafford respectively.
However, he has decided to praise the man he played under during a successful spell for the North London side, scoring 132 goals in 278 games, making him Arsenal's eight highest scorer in their history.
- 90Min