Robin van Persie’s long-standing dream of winning the Premier League was completed when he joined Manchester United in 2012 from Arsenal. In his debut season at Old Trafford, the Dutchman lifted the domestic title and finished as the league’s leading scorer. This made him a crowd favourite in the red side of Manchester but the strike has revealed that his stay at the club was cut short in 2015 when manager at that time Louis van Gaal asked him to leave. David Moyes Recalls Trying to Sign These World-Class Players for Manchester United.

A ruthless striker under Sir Alex Ferguson, Van Persie endured a troubled season under David Moyes mainly due to a bit-part role. Things didn't go well when new manager Van Gaal arrived as injuries hampered his season, ultimately leading Van Gaal to make a decision of selling the star striker. Van Persie joined Turkish side Fernabache for £4 million. Manchester United Blocked Former Manager Jose Mourinho’s ‘Emergency Move’ to FC Porto in 2016, Says Portugal Club’s President.

‘I had this chat with Louis van Gaal and he told me 'OK Robin, our ways will part. I'm the coach, you're the player - you have to go, your time is up', Van Persie revealed to the High Performance Podcast. ‘I was like: 'Yeah but I still have a contract?' He said: 'I don't care'.’ The Netherlands international added.

‘Ruthless. Towards the end of it, I saw something coming but not this ruthless. And the way he said it as well. And then a lot of things go through your mind when you get a message like that. "I still had a contract, my family was happy, it was my 11th year in England. We love living in England. What's next?’ Van Persie said further.

‘My kids are going to school, they have their friends and everything. So in a split second, all these things come across [your mind]. How do you react to that? I said we will see what happens,’ the former United man further revealed that he was not allowed play during the pre-season and was told to train on his own.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 21, 2020 04:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).