Manchester United fans got their nostalgia jeered after the club’s former striker Robin Van Persie was spotted at the club’s training ground.

The 40-year-old, who is currently a youth team coach at Feyenoord, was also spotted having dinner with former United coach Sir Alex Ferguson, after the side’s recent Premier League win against West Ham on Sunday, February 4. Van Persie’s multiple appearances at Manchester led to a spark of speculation about the former player’s nature of visit.

The player had a successful stint at United, making 105 appearances for the side and bagging 58 goals in his three years at the club. The former striker retired from playing at the Dutch club in 2019. After that, he started working as an assistant coach and also helped out in the academy.

With several match-winning performances during those years, the player became a favourite for many fans of United, a factor which is one of the main reasons behind the hype around his recent appearances.

Much to the disappointment of the fans, the Dutchman’s visit to United facilities is not something related to his possible future with the club, at least for now.

According to The Athletic, Van Persie’s return to United is linked to his current UEFA coaching course. The 40-year-old has been given permission to watch the training sessions of Erik ten Hag’s team and pick up valuable input from some of the club’s coaching staff. This arrangement is part of his Pro Licence course with the Dutch Football Association (KNVB), which will keep him at Carrington until Thursday.

On the other hand, the former striker’s decision to return to Manchester United rather than his other former Premier League club, Arsenal, has stirred dissatisfaction among Gunners supporters. They believe that the player’s choice of the Red Devils over Arsenal is a disservice to his tenure at the North London club. The ‘Flying Dutchman’ spent eight years at Arsenal before moving to United in 2012.