Robin van Persie has had initial conversations with Dutch club Heerenveen about potentially becoming their new manager at the end of the season.
The 40-year-old has not yet taken on a managerial role, but he has been gaining coaching experience since 2020.
He first joined Feyenoord, where he began and ended his playing career, as an assistant and then went on to coach the Under-18 and Under-19 teams, a role he continues to hold.
The former striker also returned to Manchester United earlier this season to complete part of his UEFA Pro Licence by observing training sessions and talking to staff.
It's clear that he is keen to move into management, and he may have the opportunity at Heerenveen after Voetbal International reported that he has held discussions with the club's director, Ferry de Haan.
However, Van Persie is not the only contender for the position, as another former Manchester United forward, Ruud van Nistelrooy, is also being considered.
Heerenveen is currently 11th in the Eredivisie, and their current manager, Kees van Wonderen, is set to depart at the end of the season.
Van Nistelrooy may not be a realistic option for Heerenveen after a successful season in charge at PSV and the likelihood that he will be seeking opportunities overseas.
De Haan is familiar with Van Persie from their time playing together at Feyenoord during the Dutch international’s initial spell at the club.
Van Persie was approached to join Erik ten Hag’s coaching staff at Manchester United when he became the manager in 2022, but he declined the offer for family reasons.
'My son and daughter are important right now,' Van Persie explained to the Life After Football magazine in 2022. 'The fact that they have both found their passion is great. A hobby is nice, but you hope that they really find a passion.
'Dina succeeded in doing that with horse riding, she’s totally into it, and Shaqueel has the same thing with soccer. My wife, Bouchra, is developing all her talents with our projects and that’s great to see. We’re enjoying ourselves together.
'In London, when I played at Arsenal, we moved five times. We also lived in Manchester and Istanbul. All in all, we were away for almost fourteen years.
'But then we thought “what’s good for the kids now?” and felt a little stability would be nice.'
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