Sterling prompts radical Van Persie move as Feyenoord train abroad

Robin Bairner

• 16 Feb 2026 08:01 CST
• 4 min read

Nieuws

Raheem Sterling has been given a warm welcome by Feyenoord, so much so that head coach Robin van Persie has announced that the Rotterdam club will train abroad to integrate the former Chelsea star as quickly as possible.

Sterling completed a shock move to the Eredivisie side last week, rejecting 18 teams to hook up with Van Persie after he was released from Chelsea by mutual consent.

While there had been claims that the 31-year-old would receive around €2 million for playing in the final 11 matches of the season, Feyenoord have since announced that it will be less than €1m.

Feyenoord move training to Belgium for Sterling

With Sterling set to be one of the biggest earners in Eredivisie history, Van Persie is determined to get his money’s worth from a player who has previously had spells at Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.

Such are the lengths that Feyenoord’s coaching staff are going to in order to integrate their new signing, they have moved their training base abroad until he receives a work permit for the Netherlands.

“We're going abroad for a day and a half or two. Not too far, we're not exactly going to Mexico. We're going to train, and one of the reasons for this is so that Raheem can participate in the sessions,” former Manchester United and Arsenal striker Van Persie declared.

“It's a great opportunity to work on the team culture and to talk to each other. We can do fun things and that means a lot.”

Belgium has been chosen as the destination for this mini-training camp because Sterling will not need a visa to train there on a short-term basis.

Sterling saving Van Persie’s job?

Van Persie is a manager under pressure due to poor recent results, yet the arrival of Sterling shows Feyenoord’s determination to back the former Netherlands ace.

“The fact that they've signed him at least shows that the club's management is doing everything they can to have Van Persie in the saddle,” Geert-Jan Jakobs told Voetbal International’s ‘Rondje Eredivisie’ programme.

“It's a kind of job guarantee for Van Persie. Sterling specifically chose him to go to Feyenoord. So they can't afford to let Van Persie go now.”

This, in turn, could pose issues for Sterling, who has yet to play this season and has never played for a foreign club in his career.

“He’s been signed as a diversionary tactic,” the pundit said.

“The difficulty is that he was brought in as a kind of saviour. But there are several problems that remain unsolved. The game is only getting worse. The manager is doing all sorts of strange things and chasing players out. The technical director isn't functioning. And players are constantly getting injured.”

Feyenoord lie second in the Eredivisie after 23 matches but are 14 points behind leaders PSV and face a battle with Ajax to secure Champions League football next season. Van Persie’s side have won only four of their last 12 matches across all competitions.

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