Robin van Persie has discussed his decision to give son Shaqueel his senior debut in Feyenoord’s 3-1 loss to Celtic on Thursday night. The 19-year-old substituted Jordan Lotomba for the final 10 minutes of the midweek Europa League match, which was criticized by several. Head coach Van Persie has explained his decision to give the teenager his first start against the Bhoys.
Celtic came from behind to defeat Feyenoord on Thursday.
Feyenoord took an early lead against Celtic when Ayase Ueda tucked past Kasper Schmeichel after Sem Steijn picked him out brilliantly. However, Celtic turned the game on its head before the break, with goals from Yang Hyun-Jun and Reo Hatate putting the Scottish champions ahead at the break.
The Eredivisie team pressed for an equaliser, but it was Benjamin Nygren who scored Celtic’s third goal in the final minutes, giving the Scottish side a 3-1 victory at De Kuip. Feyenoord has now lost five of their previous six matches in all competitions, including defeats to PSV and VfB Stuttgart in the league and Europa League, respectively.
Van Persie was questioned about his team’s performance following the match, but he was also compelled to justify his decision to give his son his debut as Feyenoord pushed for a goal. Shaqueel was included in Feyenoord’s matchday squad for their recent 4-2 home loss to NEC Nijmegen, although he did not play.
Van Persie insists he’made the call as a coach’
Shaqueel also got his first taste of senior and European football in the home loss to Celtic. The elder Van Persie has since revealed why he turned to his son to save the Europa League tie, maintaining he did so as a coach rather than a father.
When asked why he chose to introduce the young striker when Feyenoord was 2-1 down, the former Arsenal and Manchester United striker replied: “I took that call as a coach, not as a father, because we needed a goal. Shaqueel is a player that can score from any angle. That was why I brought him on. From the perspective of a father, seeing his son make his debut is always a momentous event. But I wasn’t enjoying the occasion as much as Shaqueel was; I was working.”
Shaqueel did not have the expected impact, as Feyenoord conceded their third goal less than a minute after his introduction. Furthermore, the youthful forward failed to fire a short, although he did win three aerial duels during his brief appearance on the field.
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Van Persie insists that his son is ‘one of the players’.
Van Persie went on to say that he does not consider Shaqueel his son, but rather one of his players, and that their relationship is professional rather than personal. “The way I see Shaqueel is as one of the players,” Feyenoord’s head coach added.
“This is something we both agreed on a few years ago when we were already working together. Shaqueel was managing it quite well, and I am, too. Later, when we get home, we’ll have a beautiful moment where we’re proud of each other.
“I am happy of Shaqueel because, like every other player making his debut, he went through a lengthy process before making his debut. He worked hard for it, and this is a significant time for him.”
Shaqueel rose through the ranks at Manchester City before moving on to Fenerbahce in 2015 and Feyenoord in 2017. The attacker earned his first professional deal with Feyenoord in 2022. Shaqueel, born in London, has represented the Netherlands at the Under-16 and Under-17 levels.
Feyenoord is aiming to turn form around.
Feyenoord will try to improve their current record when they travel to Telstar on Sunday. The Dutch giants have lost their past two away games against Stuttgart and Go Ahead Eagles, with their most recent road success coming last month at Heracles, 7-0.
Telstar, on the other hand, is now at the bottom of the Eredivisie and has lost six of their previous six matches, drawing three of them as they show indications of improvement. However, the Dutch minnows have only won one of their seven home matches this season.
It remains to be seen whether Shaqueel van Persie will be given another opportunity to increase his first-team minutes.
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