Arsenal Invincible was once ‘fuming’ with Robin van Persie and even fought with him in training

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Robin van Persie is a bit of a villain to Arsenal fans.

The Dutchman spent the better part of a decade as a Gunner and scored over 100 goals for the club. He was even the captain in his final few years at the Emirates.

However, Van Persie’s decision to leave Arsenal and join Manchester United led to Arsenal fans falling out with him, and many of his comments about the club since have increased that hatred.

Now, another story about the current Feyenoord boss when he was at Arsenal has emerged.

Jeremie Aliadiere reveals his fight with Robin van Persie in Arsenal training

Jeremie Aliadiere joined Arsenal’s academy from Clairefontaine in 1999.

The Frenchman spent eight years on the Gunners’ books and played 50 times for the senior side in all competitions under Arsene Wenger.

Aliadiere even played 10 Premier League games during Arsenal’s Invincibles season alongside club legends Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and others.

During his time at the club, the attacker played and trained with several top players. Van Persie was one of them, but Aliadiere didn’t really like him at the start, so much so that he even got into a fight with the Dutchman in his first training session at Arsenal in 2004.

Aliadiere said on the From My Left podcast: “Listen, I didn’t particularly like the guy. Me and him had a fight on the first day of training.”

Speaking about the incident, he said: “Obviously, I want to play, I want to start, I don’t want Arsene to keep bringing me competition all the time. But, he signed Robin.

“At that time as well, just to put it into perspective, I was number 30, which had always been my number. That year, number 11, Sylvain Wiltord, had left. I was thinking: ‘I fancy the 11. It’s a nice little number.’ I go and speak to Arsene and the kit man. I said: ‘Boss, can I get the 11? [He said] ‘Yes, no problem.’

“So I’m thinking over the summer: ‘I’m changing my number when pre-season starts.’ Well, pre-season starts, I’ve still got 30, Robin comes in and takes the 11. So I’ve got a new striker to fight with, and he took the number I wanted. So, obviously, I was a bit… the nerves and stuff…

“On the day we started training, first day, first training session, we had done the running and then we started playing a possession game.

“I get the ball, I protected the ball, he started to kick my shin out of nowhere, kicking my Achilles. I was already fuming with him because he took my number. I turned around and I pushed him, and we started to have a bit of a (melee).”

Robin van Persie’s stats at Arsenal

Van Persie ruined his legacy at Arsenal by moving to Manchester United.

Yes, he won a Premier League title at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson, but his career went downhill after that, and he never got the love he used to get before.

But, if you keep the emotions aside, every Arsenal fan will admit that he was spectacular for the Gunners when he was fully fit.

Van Persie is Arsenal’s eighth-highest goalscorer of all time, and we are convinced he would’ve won the title at the Emirates had he not moved in 2012.

But the striker made his decision, and no matter what he does now, he will never get much love from Arsenal supporters.