Van Persie wants to score more and more
Arsenal talisman Robin van Persie may have scored 48 goals in 2011, but the Dutchman is still not satisfied and wants to surpass it in the current calendar year.
Van Persie bagged both of the Gunners' goals in Saturday's 2-1 victory over Liverpool to take his tally for 2012 past 10 goals already. And it's only just March.
The former Feyenoord forward came agonisingly close to a half-century of strikes in 2011 for Arsenal and the Netherlands, and the fearless finisher wants even more.
"I'm enjoying my football, but I'm not satisfied that easily,” Van Persie says in the April 2012 issue of FourFourTwo magazine, out now.
"I never expected to score 48 goals in one year, like I did in 2011. Never in my life would I have thought that.
"But now I've done it I want to score more than 48 because I know it's possible. More!"
Van Persie has transformed himself from a precocious but injury-prone player to an undisputed world-class talent in a little over 12 months, becoming a key figure for both club and country.
Awarded the captain's armband at Emirates Stadium after former skipper Cesc Fabregas' departure to Barcelona last summer, Arsenal's star striker admits he was affected by the Catalan-born midfielder's exit.
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"When Cesc left, I was really upset. Since he's gone we do miss a world-class player. There are only five or six players like him in the world.
"I understood he was going home, so no hard feelings - but a big blow. And Nasri was the same."
Read the full in-depth interview with Van Persie in theApril 2012 issue of FourFourTwo magazine, out now. A 'Foreigners Special', it reveals the best and worst foreign player for every Premier League, Football League and Scottish Premier League club.
It also features interviews with Nolberto Solano, Clint Dempsey and Jonas Gutierrez and goes on the hunt for Ali Dia. Subscribe!
Gregg Davies is the Chief Sub Editor of FourFourTwo magazine, joining the team in January 2008 and spending seven years working on the website. He supports non-league behemoths Hereford and commentates on Bulls matches for Radio Hereford FC. His passions include chocolate hobnobs and attempting to shoehorn Ronnie Radford into any office conversation.