Sir Alex Ferguson has saluted Robin van Persie for making a move to Manchester United and putting personal ambition before personal gain.
United boss delighted to see new signing put trophies before cash
Sir Alex Ferguson has saluted Robin van Persie for making a move to Manchester United and putting personal ambition before personal gain.
The Red Devils will ensure that their new £24million striker is handsomely rewarded throughout his time at Old Trafford, but there were greater riches on offer elsewhere.
United will not be held to ransom in their pursuit of fresh faces and have missed out on a number of transfer targets as a result, with rivals such as Manchester City prepared to splash the cash.
The Blues had hoped to lure Van Persie to the Etihad Stadium from Arsenal, but saw the Dutchman opt for the Red Devils.
Van Persie admitted to having followed his heart upon signing for United, rather than looking to line his pockets.
Heartening
Ferguson has welcomed that decision, with it important for United to have players on their books who are fully committed to the club and are driven to be successful.
"A lot of players would like to play for Manchester United -as the agents keep telling us - but over the last two or three years I think there has been a trend for players to settle for the cash, and as we all know, Manchester City can beat us all at that," Ferguson told
United Review ahead of Saturday's home date with Fulham.
"So I found it very heartening when Robin's motivation was to chase his ambitions to play for us and hopefully win a trophy or two.
"I really respect players who clearly want to play for us and it has always influenced me when it comes to deciding who we should go for.
"The reverse is equally true for me because if I hear that a player has fallen out of love with us and is looking elsewhere, I invariably help them on their way out."
