Van Persie went on to explain that he doesn’t see Shaqueel as his son but rather one of his players, and that they have a working relationship away from home rather than a personal one. “The way I see Shaqueel is as one of the players,” the Feyenoord head coach went on to say.
“This is what we both agreed to a couple of years ago when we already worked together. Shaqueel was handling that really well, I am too in my opinion. Later on when we are home of course we will have a nice moment, when we are proud of each other.
“I am proud of Shaqueel because, like every player who makes his debut, there is a whole process going on before he made his debut. He worked hard, deserved it and, for him, it is a special moment.”
Shaqueel came through the ranks at Manchester City, before moving on to Fenerbahce in 2015 and then on to Feyenoord in 2017. The forward signed his first professional contract with Feyenoord in 2022. While born in London, Shaqueel has represented the Netherlands at both Under-16 and Under-17 level.