Wednesday 3 June 2015 08:12, UK
Robin van Persie has admitted that he must "evaluate the situation" at Manchester United as he faces the prospect of playing back-up at Old Trafford.
The 31-year-old, who has just over a year left on his contract at United, endured a difficult season with injuries and scored 10 goals as his side finished fourth to qualify for the Champions League.
The Dutchman says he still wants to play first-team football and has also taken Holland’s potential participation in the European Championships in France next summer into consideration as he thinks about his future.
He said: "I must evaluate the situation. The club is doing that as well. I must consider what I really want.
"If worse comes to the worst and I won't be playing much next season, I wouldn't be in an ideal situation with Euro 2016 coming up.
"It's a strange, difficult situation. A new situation, that's a better word. I have to think in a realistic way. It's my ambition to play the next years."
Van Persie also said his family's happiness would play a major role in his thinking as he weighs up his next move, with his wife and children settled in Manchester.
He added: "I'm thinking about my family and my children with every decision I take. These are very important for me.
"I'm a real family guy. I think it's fantastic to see how happy my children and wife are. That's something I take into consideration when I'm thinking about my future."
However, van Persie said there was no definitive news regarding his future as rumours continue to circulate around United’s search for a new striker after Radamel Falcao returned to Monaco.
He added: "If I am to believe the stories, around 35 new strikers will be coming in and 40 will be leaving but I have no news regarding my future."
Van Persie said he should have had six or seven more goals than the tally of 10 he scored for the club last season.
"People don't accept that I just scored 10," he added. "Actually that's a compliment because they expect more of me on the basis of what I can do. I was the club's second highest goal scorer together with Juan Mata and behind Wayne Rooney (14 goals).
"It's not good that a top club like Manchester United does not have a scorer with 20 or more goals behind his name each season and that is why we only finished fourth."
Van Persie struggled with an ankle injury through the season, blaming a hectic pre-World Cup training programme, as he battled to get fit for Brazil, and then a lack of a break after the tournament last summer.
"After I came back from injury, I realised that I would not automatically get back in the starting line-up," he said. "But I didn't have a problem with that because they were playing well at the time.
"These things happen. We are living in an adult world. Louis van Gaal is not the coach of Robin van Persie, but of Manchester United with 25 in the squad."
