Thursday 10 December 2015 20:31, UK
Ahead of Fenerbahce's vital Europa League clash against Celtic on Thursday night, we assess striker Robin van Persie's stint so far in Turkey.
The former Arsenal striker moved to the Super Lig from Manchester United in the summer, signing a lucrative three-year contract to end his 11-year stint in the English top flight.
Here, we take a look at how the two-time Premier League top scorer is getting on, and it hasn't been all plain sailing...
The start
Even by Turkish standards, Van Persie's arrival in Istanbul was a spectacular affair. Thousands of fans lit flares and mobbed the Dutchman after he touched down at Sabhia Gokcen airport in Istanbul, and Van Persie addressed the jubilant crowd amid the mayhem.
"What I'm seeing here is incredible," he said. "I hope I can make you happy. It is an honour for me to be seeing you here, and hopefully I can make you very happy."
Champions League exit
The optimism surrounding Van Persie's arrival was somewhat dampened when they were knocked out of the Champions League in their qualifying play-off against Shakhtar Donetsk.
The Dutchman missed a late scoring chance after coming off the bench for his debut in the goalless first leg, and he was not even in the squad as they lost the return match 3-0 in Ukraine.
First goal
Van Persie did, however, help them into the Europa League when he scored his maiden Fenerbahce goal with his first touch after coming off the bench in their play-off round clash with Greek side Atromitos.
The Dutchman added to that strike when he scored on his league debut in a 1-1 draw with Rizespor, but that was followed by a run of four games without finding the net.
Europa League nightmare
Fenerbahce welcomed Norwegian champions Molde to the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium for their Europa League group stage opener on September 17, but it turned out to a night to forget as they fell to a shock 3-1 defeat. It was a particularly galling experience for Van Persie.
"He was booed off the field during Fenerbahce's 3-1 defeat to Molde," said Eren Sarigul, the co-editor of Turkish-football.com. Van Persie's Turkish adventure was threatening to turn into a nightmare, and there were suggestions of a growing rift with manager Vitor Pereira.
League form
Despite the early wake-up call in September, things took a more positive turn in the Turkish Super Lig when Van Persie scored in two consecutive matches.
He fired in the winner against Bursaspor, before managing to find the net again the following week against Besiktas. A first return to the United Kingdom followed, as Fenerbahce drew 2-2 with Celtic in the Europa League.
Back in league action on October 18, the Dutchman netted a winner against Kayserispor, and things were looking remarkably positive despite that worrying start.
Off the pitch, though, reports swirled about Van Persie's mood, with the striker even admitting to Lig TV: "To be honest, I am not very happy at this moment."
Pereira stuck with him, and the 32-year-old has played a major role in almost every game of the club's league campaign to date, albeit being substituted in his last eight starts.
In fact, the only match he didn't play in was last weekend...
Nearing a return?
Van Persie sat out of Fenerbahce's league draw against Gaziantepspor with a thigh strain, and was expected to be facing several weeks on the sidelines.
But, it appears the former Arsenal and United man could be fit to face British opponents Celtic on Thursday night, as his side bid to reach the last 32 of the competition.
"Van Persie's not a very serious injury," said Pereira on Wednesday. "I do not know if he can play. We will decide in consultation with the medical team."
For a player so prolific in his prime, Van Persie will perhaps not be delighted with his form this season; he has played 21 games with a return of six goals.
Having said that, he is starting regularly, with his team second in the league and one game away from a place in the knockout stages of Europe.
