Robin van Persie and Edwin van der Sar were both in attendance at Old Trafford on Tuesday night as Man United came back to seal a thrilling 3-2 victory against Aston Villa.
After Man United went 2-0 down in the first half thanks to goals from John McGinn and Leander Dendoncker, Erik ten Hag‘s side rallied, with Alejandro Garnacho scoring twice before Rasmus Hojlund netted the winner and his first Premier League goal for the club.
There were scenes of elation around the historic stadium, with former players Van Persie and Van der Sar in attendance to celebrate the win, which was United’s first victory in four matches.
Robin van Persie and Edwin van der Sar were both spotted at Old Trafford during Man United’s comeback win against Aston Villa
He took to X (formerly Twitter) to thank the club for welcoming him after the match
But their presence was noted by some football fans, with many questioning the timing of Dutch duo’s visit, after Sir Jim Ratcliffe‘s £1.3bn deal to purchase a 25 per cent stake in the Red Devils was confirmed on Christmas Eve.
Some fans had speculated online that the pair could be set to play a role in football operations, with Ratcliffe’s company, INEOS, set to take over the football side of the business.
One wrote: ‘Edwin and RVP attending the game, following the next of Sir Jim is an interesting turn of events. I doubt it’s by sheer coincidence.’ Another wrote: ‘Van der Sar and Van Persie in the stands, what could this mean?’
While one X user added: ‘INEOS giving Van Der Sar a role? This seems very coincidental?’
Despite that, Van Persie, who currently works as a coach for the Feyenoord Under 18 side, shut down those rumours before the game, admitting that his return to Old Trafford had been pre-planned.
The forward, who joined Man United from Arsenal in 2012 before leaving in 2015, told MUTV ahead of the match: ‘Obviously, it was a bit of a coincidence that I’m here now with my wife and friends.
‘When I looked at the schedule I was like if I can pick that game, I will pick that game because of course our sort of shared memories we have against Villa,’ the 40-year-old added in reference to the hat-trick he scored against Aston Villa during the 2012-13 season that helped United clinch their last Premier League title.
But many fans online speculated at why the pair of former players were in attendance
Some noted the timing of their visit which coincidentally came after Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s £1.3bn investment in the club had been confirmed
But Van Persie admitted that his visit was pre-planned and he had wanted to see Man United play Aston Villa after scoring a hat-trick against the Midlands outfit to win the title in 2013
‘It was one of the most special nights personally as a Manchester United player. Villa are doing well this year so it’s a nice game to watch.
‘It’s always nice to be back,’ he added. ‘I feel that [being part of Manchester United]. Not only in the stadium but I feel it in the streets. This afternoon I was walking in Deansgate and the love the Manchester fans still give me is incredible.’
Van Persie returned 58 goals across 105 appearances for Man United across all competitions, going on to to enjoy spells at Fenerbahce and Feyenoord.
But after hanging up his boots in 2019, the Dutchman had, rejected an offer from Erik ten Hag to return to the football club in 2022 as a part of the manager’s backroom staff, stating that he wanted to stay in Holland with his family.