Robin Van Persie has hailed the arrival of Raheem Sterling at Feyenoord and has backed the former Chelsea winger to ‘regain his joy’ at the club.
The England forward completed a move to the Dutch club until the end of the season on Thursday, after becoming a free agent when he agreed to terminate his contract at the London club last month.
Sterling joined Chelsea in 2022, but last played for them in 2024 and was even frozen out of the team by former manager Enzo Maresca at the start of the current campaign.
Speaking during his pre-match press conference, Feyenoord manager Van Persie reflected on the arrival of the 31-year-old.
“Well, you can see that it gives a boost throughout the whole club. You see that on different levels”, Van Persie stated.
“You saw it today as well. Someone’s coming in, and that’s just how it is, he’s a big player, a big character and someone who has proven himself.
“And he’s here and has chosen Feyenoord, for the love of the game and he wants to regain the joy and he’s going to find that with us and we’ll help him with it.
“The process starts today and we’re all really looking forward to it. And that’s the reason that we’ve brought him in”, the former Arsenal forward added.
Sterling will be hoping to make an impact in his first career move abroad and also return to the top level.
An impressive spell could also open a shock return to the England national team, with his last appearance coming back at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“And that’s also the reason from Raheem’s point of view that he has chosen us is because we believe in each other and that we are going to help each other in that process,” Van Persie added.
“From Raheem’s point of view to be happy again and from our point of view so that he can help us and gives us a really positive boost.”
Sterling could make his debut for Feyenoord in the clash against Go Ahead Eagles on Sunday.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
