Van Persie: Want to stay at United beyond 2016

March 14, 2014 03:45 pm | Updated May 19, 2016 08:38 am IST - London

Manchester United striker Robin van Persie said he wants to stay at the Premier League champions beyond his existing contract, which ends in 2016.

The 30-year-old Dutchman had sparked rumours he may be ready to leave by being critical of his teammates and suggesting they were getting in his way.

And former Holland midfielder Ronald de Boer said van Persie could leave in the summer if United did not match his ambition with some big-name signings.

But in an interview with United’s official match programme for this week’s clash with Liverpool, van Persie said he was more than happy with life at United and new manager David Moyes.

“The truth is I’m very happy here at this club,” van Persie’s interview was quoted on the Manchester United website. “I signed for four years and I’d be delighted to stay even longer, beyond the next two years I have left on my contract.

“This is how I feel, although it’s not what has been suggested in the media.” “I don’t mind if my performances get dissected and people criticise what I’ve done on the pitch,” he said.

“They can talk about my game 24/7 for all I care...and a lot of those opinions and criticisms may actually be right. So I don’t mind that.

“What I need to address are the situations when people are taking it upon themselves to think for me, make assumptions, or interpret things as if they are me.

“Last time I checked my head was still attached to my body, so I’m the only one who knows exactly what I’m feeling and that is not what I or the fans have been reading.”

Reports had suggested that van Persie was unhappy with Moyes and dissatisfied with his training methods in his first season since replacing Sir Alex Ferguson.

But van Persie said nothing could be further from the truth.

“I’m very happy with my teammates and I’m very happy with my manager and his staff,” he said.

“The sessions we have on the training ground are fantastic and I’m learning a lot from them every day.

“Like I said, talk about my performances or talk about a tackle that was too late. I don’t mind. But it goes too far when people start suggesting, amongst other things, that I have a bad understanding with the manager. That’s not true at all.

“I can tell you that Moyes’ sessions and the things he says in his team meetings are spot-on. I really enjoy working under him and I’m absolutely convinced things will pick up and we’ll turn it around.”

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