Van Persie factfile

We look back on Robin van Persie's career after the Dutchman was named PFA Player of the Year.

Few would deny Arsenal striker Robin van Persie is a worthy winner of the PFA Player of the Year award after a campaign in which he has grown into his role as club captain following Cesc Fabregas' defection to Barcelona. While Arsenal will again finish the season trophyless it would have been a whole lot worse were it not for the performances of a man who scored 35 goals in the calendar year. Van Persie's love for the club with whom he has made his name since arriving in North London back in 2004 is evident every time he pulls on a red shirt, but whether he will still be at the Emirates next season is a matter of some conjecture. If, as many predict, he elects to chase trophies elsewhere he will at least have signed off with another immaculate campaign, rightly recognised by his fellow professionals on Sunday evening. 1983: Born August 6 in Rotterdam. Plays for Excelsior Rotterdam and Feyenoord youth teams and capped by Holland at under-19 and under-21 level. 2002: January - Signs three-and-a-half-year deal with Feyenoord. Drafted into the first-team squad because of injury shortages at the age of 18. February 21 - Features as a 57th-minute substitute in UEFA Cup fourth-round, first-leg clash against Rangers. Plays from the start in the 3-2 second leg win at home which booked his team's progress. May 8 - Plays in Feyenoord's 3-2 UEFA Cup final victory over Borussia Dortmund in Rotterdam. Voted the Dutch PFA's Best Young Talent for 2001-02. Suffers a back injury which kept him in plaster over the summer of 2002 but was fit for the start of the new season. 2002-03: Ends the season with eight goals from 28 games as Feyenoord finish runners-up in the Dutch Cup. Played twice in the Champions League. 2004: January 20 - Feyenoord reveal they have rejected a bid for Van Persie from Arsenal. Makes 32 appearances for Feyenoord, scoring six goals. April 28: Arsenal reveal they have signed Van Persie on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee. August 8 - Makes his debut as a substitute in the 3-1 FA Community Shield win over Manchester United. October 27 - Scores on his competitive debut, a 2-1 League Cup win over Manchester City. 2005: Feb 26 - Publicly criticised by Arsene Wenger after being sent off for a rash tackle on Southampton's Graeme Le Saux. June 4 - Makes Holland debut in a 2-0 World Cup qualifying win against Romania. November - Named Player of the Month after beginning the season with eight goals in eight starts. 2006: January 4 - Signs new five-year contract with the club but two days later suffers a foot injury against Cardiff. June - Played in all four of Holland's matches at the World Cup. 2007: January 21 - Season ended by a broken foot suffered against Manchester United. October - Begins life as Arsenal's main striker following Thierry Henry's departure with seven goals in 10 matches, but then suffers a knee injury on international duty, leaving him out for two months. He then suffers a series of minor injuries for the rest of the season. 2009: January 3 - Captains Arsenal for the first time in the absence of Cesc Fabregas and Manuel Almunia. July 8: After several months of talks and with his existing deal entering its final year, signs a new four-year contract. November 14 - After another strong start to the season, injures his ankle on international duty, ruling him out for five months. 2010: Misses two months at the start of the season with an ankle injury. July 11 - Plays in the World Cup final as Holland lose 1-0 to Spain. 2011: January 22 - Scores his first career hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Wigan. March 8 - Sent off in the Champions League last-16 match against Barcelona, receiving a second yellow card for shooting one second after the referee had blown for offside, with the Dutchman insisting he could not hear amid a crowd of 95,000. Arsenal lost 4-3 on aggregate. May 8 - Scored against Stoke to make it a Premier League record eight straight away league games in which he had a goal. August 11 - Named Arsenal captain after the departure of Fabregas. September 2 - Scores four in Holland's record-breaking 11-0 win over San Marino. September 24 - Goal against Bolton takes his Arsenal tally to 100. December 31 - Scores in the 1-0 win over QPR to take his tally for the calendar year to 35, one short of Alan Shearer's Premier League record. 2012: April 22 - Named PFA Player of the Year.