Arsenal Football Club

• Nickname:Gunners
• Founded:1886
• Manager:Arsene Wenger

• Ground:Emirates
• Capacity:60432

Van Persie: I'm one of the best

09 Jun 2010 - 07:05:10

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Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has said he would like to be held in the same regard as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney next season.

He missed much of the later half of the season after injuring his ankle while on international duty with Netherlands in Italy last November, but he made an instant impact on his return to the Gunners first-team and he now wants an uninterrupted campaign to prove his worth.

Speaking to reporters, he said: "Arsene Wenger said at the end of this season, once I'd come back into the team, that people would have been talking about me like Lionel Messi if I had not been injured.

"I can see what the manager meant when he said those things. But I still think I am not in the same class until I have gone a long period without an injury and I want to go through next season where I score 30 goals and have 20 assists.

"Only then I will turn around to the manager and say, 'Yes boss, you are right'.

"But I admit that I have a massive desire to get to the level of Messi, Rooney and Ronaldo and I'd rather do it today than tomorrow.