Spotlight on Van Persie as Celtic visit Feyenoord

Europa League: Feyenoord v Celtic

Venue: De Kuip, Rotterdam Date: Thursday, 27 November Time: 17:45 GMT

Coverage: Listen on BBC Radio Scotland Extra & Sounds, live text commentary on the BBC Sport website & app

As a player, Robin van Persie was a generational talent.

His left foot produced the kind of spellbinding magic that could rival any of his peers as he danced through a career that left a mark on Feyenoord, Arsenal and Manchester United.

And that is not to mention a glittering international career that so very nearly reached the greatest pinnacle in football when he and his Dutch team-mates lost out to the greatest Spanish side of all time in the 2010 World Cup final in Johannesburg amidst the incessant drone of the vuvuzela.

Van Persie was a special player. As a manager, the jury is out as his Feyenoord team welcome Celtic to Rotterdam for a crucial Europa League encounter.

The 42-year-old was placed in charge of a club he bookended his playing career at in February following the dismissal of Arne Slot's replacement Brian Priske.

And despite an immediate upturn in fortunes, things have been shaky in recent weeks.

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Van Persie's only previous managerial position was at Heerenveen, where he won just nine of his 26 games in charge. He had previously worked as Dick Advocaat's assistant at Feyenoord.

And he comes into this one under pressure having lost each of his past three matches and four of his past five including their latest Europa League loss at Stuttgart that left them below Celtic in the table.

The run has also cost them top spot in the Eredivisie with reigning champions PSV Eindhoven reclaiming the summit and leading by six points.

Saturday's 4-2 home defeat by NEC Nijmegen came after Feyenoord tossed away a 2-1 half-time lead and were wasteful in front of goal.

"This isn't typical of us," Van Persie said after their latest defeat. "When you play that well, it's hard to swallow.

"I thought we were good against Stuttgart, but you lose in the closing stage."

There was a special moment for the Van Persie family, however, as the manager named his 19-year-old son Shaqheel on the bench, his first involvement with the first team. They had previously worked together when he coached the club's youth team.

"Of course it's special, but ultimately, I don't favour him or disadvantage him because he's my son," said Van Persie senior. "That wouldn't be fair either. I treat him like any other player."

Like Celtic, Feyenoord desperately need to pick up points. Ten was enough for three clubs in last season's league phase, but it wasn't for two of them with the 16-time Dutch champions a point worse off than their Scottish counterparts.

Their top scorer this season is Japan international Ayase Ueda, who has scored 13 goals in 18 outings, with winger Anis Hadji Moussa stepping up this season having been on loan at Vitesse last campaign.

On the other side could be Leo Sauer, the Slovakia wide who man featured in all of his country's 2026 World Cup qualifiers, while £8.8m summer signing Sam Steijn was made captain by Van Persie immediately after arriving at De Kuip.

With Celtic nursing their way through an injury crisis, Feyenoord have also found themselves shorn of key men including reported Arsenal and Bayern Munich target Givairo Read and Canada full-back Cyle Larin.

It is a fixture that will evoke memories of the 1970 European Cup final when Jock Stein sent seven Lisbon Lions on to the San Siro pitch in Milan with the hope of repeating their glory of three years previously, only to lose 2-1 after extra time despite taking the lead through Tommy Gemmell.

This clearly isn't of that magnitude, but the outcome could have serious repercussions when it comes to progression in this season's Europa League - and Van Persie knows it.

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