Veteran Dutch forward Robin van Persie expects to retire at the end of the season.
The 35-year-old is currently back at Feyenoord, the club with whom he came through the youth ranks before moving to Arsenal in 2004.
Van Persie went on to win the FA Cup with the Gunners before leaving to join Manchester United. He then helped fire Sir Alex Ferguson’s team to the 2012–13 Premier League title.
With 50 goals across 102 appearances for Holland, Van Persie was part of the Oranje side who reached the 2010 World Cup final, losing to Spain, and he also captained the squad which finished third four years later.
Van Persie moved from Old Trafford to Fenerbahce in Turkey in July 2015 before returning to his homeland in January and helping Feyenoord win the KNVB Cup.
In an interview with Dutch media outlet AD, Van Persie confirmed his intention to make the current campaign his last as a player.
“When do I have to stop? That is normally at the end of this season,” Van Persie said.
“I will be (turning) 36 years old, have been a professional for 18 years and from the age of five, I’ve only been involved in football.”
Van Persie felt he had “lost the fun” while in Turkey, but hopes to enjoy his swansong back at De Kuip.
“I also do not see that my return to Feyenoord is only successful if we take the national (Eredivisie) title,” the forward said.
“When it is successful? That is actually it.
“If you look at the whole picture. I had lost the fun (when at Fenerbahce). That is not how I wanted to end (my career), without pleasure.”
Van Persie continued: “That pleasure has returned (now I am) at Feyenoord. I want to win as a football player.
“The cup win was nice, but not the measurement of being successful or not. I wanted to give something back, to share my experiences.
“I try to help my fellow players. I see it broader than just lifting a trophy or not. That is the goal, and that is what the club management also says.
“But whether or not we take another prize is not decisive for me in terms of whether my return is successful or not.”
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