The Man Utd striker, who is now a football pundit, admits he planned to see out the final year of his contract at Old Trafford.
However, a chat with his compatriot Louis van Gaal, who was Man United’s Manager at the time, changed everything.
“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 told the High Performance Podcast.
“I was like: ‘Yeah but I still have a contract?’ He said: ‘I don’t care’.
“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.
Van Persie arrived at United from Arsenal for £22.5 million, an initial fee in 2012, signing a four-year deal.
He netted 26 times in his first 36 Premier League appearances, to help the Red Devils secure the title.
