Robin van Persie has admitted that he could see his exit from Manchester United coming after being unveiled as a Fenerbahce player.
The 31-year-old was greeted by thousands of supporters in Istanbul where he pledged to do his utmost to help his new club win trophies.
The Dutch striker, who confirmed that he spoke with other clubs before deciding on a move to Turkey, finalised his £4.8million move from Old Trafford after admitting that he knew the writing had been on the wall for his United future.
However, he insisted he holds no grudge against his former club.
Van Persie was asked if there was any parting message from compatriot and former manager Louis van Gaal, but he only spoke of his farewell meeting with former team-mates before thanking United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward for helping to push the deal through.
"It was a situation where I could see it coming, if I'm really honest," he said of his Old Trafford exit.
"I could get used to the idea for quite a bit. It was not a situation where it was just happening from day to day so I could get used to the situation – that is football.
"From my side, there are no hard feelings with how it went. It's part of football, it's part of life. I had a good moment with the players the day before I came to Istanbul so that was special. Then you see that everyone really appreciated my time there - that was important for me.
"I highly appreciate the work of Ed Woodward, the CEO of Manchester United. The way he dealt with this transfer is from a high level, it's very classy.
“He proved he's a true gentleman in the way he dealt with the whole situation. Ed, if you're listening, thank you."
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