Robin van Persie feels he is “surrounded by champions” at Manchester United as he revealed his confidence of winning the Premier League title.
The 29-year-old striker scored two as United hammered Wigan 4-0 at the DW Stadium on Tuesday.
It was Van Persie’s 19th goal since joining from Arsenal in the summer.
“We have to look at it game by game but everybody wants to be champions. I feel that I’m surrounded by champions,” he told MUTV following the Wigan victory.
The three points ensured Sir Alex Ferguson’s side maintained their seven-point advantage over rivals and defending Premier League champions Manchester City.
Van Persie, who joined United in a £24m deal in August, revealed the hunger within the side to regain the title they lost on goal difference to City.
“This is a special team,” he told MUTV. “Everybody wants to help each other. Everybody’s keen for everyone to score. Defenders are working their socks off for the midfielders, the midfielders are working for the strikers… everybody wants to run and everybody has one target in their mind.
“They know how to win and that makes it really easy for me.”
United manager Ferguson said he knew Van Persie would make a big impact this season.
On Friday, City manager Roberto Mancini admitted his concern that failing to bring Van Persie to Etihad Stadium could cost them back-to-back titles.
Van Persie’s first goal against Wigan was particularly eye-catching as the Dutchman beat defender Ivan Ramis before finding the corner with his weaker right foot.
“We knew we were getting a top player who would make a difference to the team,” said Ferguson. “That is why we went for him.
“Robin is a completely rounded footballer. He has great international experience, he’s played for Arsenal for seven years and he came to us at the very peak of his career.
“His ability to make and take goals is fantastic. His play for his first goal was absolutely magnificent, his turn, his balance, no drawback, just side footed it in. It was a really good goal.”
While Van Persie is United’s leading scorer, he also insisted he would not have had such a prolific start to his time at Old Trafford without his team-mates.
“Everybody’s helping each other and everybody wants to share the goals,” Van Persie added.
“Look at the last goal [against Wigan] – Danny wanted to give the ball to me so I could score. Everybody’s like that.
“I’m like that, Chicha [Javier Hernandez] is like that… everybody wants to share the goals and that, in my opinion, is the way to score heaps of goals.”
BBC Sport
