Robin van Persie defends decision to hand son Shaqueel Feyenoord debut vs Celtic

Updated: 29 Nov, 2025 • 0 • min read

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Robin van Persie defends decision to hand son Shaqueel Feyenoord debut vs Celtic

Photo: Getty Images

Robin van Persie has defended his decision to hand his 19-year-old son Shaqueel van Persie a senior debut during Feyenoord Rotterdam's 3-1 defeat to Celtic in the Europa League.

Shaqueel was introduced for the final 10 minutes at De Kuip with Feyenoord chasing an equaliser, a decision that drew criticism from some supporters following another disappointing night for the struggling Eredivisie side.

Celtic Turn the Game Around as Feyenoord's Poor Run Continues

Feyenoord started brightly and took an early lead when Ayase Ueda finished calmly after being picked out by Sem Steijn.

But Celtic responded emphatically, flipping the match before half-time through Yang Hyun-jun and Reo Hatate.

Despite pushing hard after the break, Feyenoord were punished late on as Benjamin Nygren struck a third to seal victory for the Scottish champions.

The result means van Persie's side have now lost five of their last six matches in all competitions.

'I Made That Call as a Coach, Not a Dad'

Questions after the match focused not only on Feyenoord's worrying form, but also on van Persie's decision to bring on Shaqueel during a high-pressure moment.

The former Arsenal and Manchester United striker stood firm:

I made that call as a coach, not as a dad because we needed a goal. Shaqueel is a player who can score a goal from all angles. That was the reason I brought him on.

From a father's point of view, when your son makes his debut that is always a special moment. But I wasn't that busy with enjoying that moment, I was doing my work like Shaqueel was.

Shaqueel, who came through the academies of Manchester City, Fenerbahçe, and Feyenoord, made little impact in his brief cameo as Celtic scored their third just a minute after his introduction.

He did, however, win three aerial duels in his short spell on the pitch.

Father and Son Keep Professional Distance

Van Persie stressed that within Feyenoord's setup, Shaqueel is treated no differently to any other player.

The way I see Shaqueel is as one of the players. This is what we both agreed to a couple of years ago when we already worked together.

Later on when we are home of course we will have a nice moment, when we are proud of each other.

I am proud of Shaqueel because, like every player who makes his debut, there is a whole process going on before he made his debut. He worked hard, deserved it and, for him, it is a special moment.

Shaqueel signed his first professional contract with Feyenoord in 2022 and has represented the Netherlands at Under-16 and Under-17 level, despite being born in London.

Feyenoord Aim to Bounce Back Against Telstar

Feyenoord travel to Telstar on Sunday as they look to halt their slump.

Telstar sit bottom of the Eredivisie but have shown signs of improvement with three consecutive draws.

They have, though, won only one of their seven home matches this season.

Whether Shaqueel will feature again remains uncertain, but van Persie made it clear his selection will be based purely on merit, not family ties.

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