Van Persie tapping into ‘right spirit’

ROBIN VAN PERSIE says working alongside Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry has helped him develop the “right spirit” to become a major player for Arsenal.

The 22-year-old Dutch forward came off the bench to secure a place in the final 16 of the Champions League for the Gunners on Wednesday against Sparta Prague, continuing a rich vein of recent form for the one-time troubled teenager.

And it is the support and guidance of Gunners manager Arsene Wenger and team-mates which Van Persie feels has gone a long way to helping him reach his current impressive form.

"All the guys have been fantastic Sol Campbell, Thierry, Dennis; they are fantastic for me," the Dutchman declared.

"Being with those guys will make you better, if you want to. If you train well every day and have the right spirit, then you can be a better player. And also the boss, because he has been fantastic to me over the past 16 or 17 months."

Seen by many as the natural successor to veteran Dennis Bergkamp, it took Van Persie several games to get used to the change in pace of English domestic football, while there were also questions over his temperament.

Van Persie felt somewhat hard done by when he was sent off against FC Thun in September after catching defender Alen Orman in the face with a raised boot, but on his return to European action on Wednesday he wasted little time in making his mark on the match against the Czechs, netting two late goals after replacing Henry for the final 24 minutes.

The comparisons between Van Persie and his veteran countryman Bergkamp are understandable.

However, the younger Dutchman reflected: "He plays in the same position as me, but I do not want to compare myself with Dennis, because I have too much respect for him, both as a person and a footballer.

"He is a great example for me and I am happy to be around him every day to learn."

Van Persie maintains he has no problem being utilised as a substitute by Wenger and is ready to take whatever chances may come his way.

"There is no reason to be frustrated here," he insisted. "If the boss puts me in for the whole game, I am happy with that. If he puts me for 15 minutes, I am happy because I know he has faith in me, and trusts me."

With Arsenal now qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League, the focus turns to their domestic campaign, which continues tomorrow against struggling Sunderland at Highbury.

The Gunners trail leaders Chelsea by 14 points, albeit with a game in hand, and Van Persie insists the battle for this season's Premiership crown is anything but over.

"We are through in the Champions League and now have to fight for the Premier League," he declared. "It is a dream for me to win the Premier League and I think it is possible.

"Everybody is saying Chelsea this and Chelsea that yes, if you are honest they have a good squad, but we have a good squad as well. We will fight for it and at the end we will see where we are."

Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann is expected to return tomorrow following a stiff back which kept him out of the Prague victory.