Hard as it might be to imagine now, there was a time when Robin van Persie was Dutch football's enfant terrible.
The talent was apparent even then, but sulking off the field and strops on it led many to question whether this then-winger would ever realise his potential. Injuries and inconsistency didn't help either, but it was Van Persie's volatility and perceived immaturity that raised most question marks among his many detractors.
Even to long-time admirers, the Van Persie of old is unrecognisable to the player and, more significantly, the person who today leads by example as captain of the Netherlands' national team. That reluctant winger has blossomed into one of the game's most efficient, effective and consistent centre-forwards, and when the Dutch needed rescuing against Spain on Friday, no-one was surprised by the identity of their saviour.
Van Persie had barely finished celebrating his equalising goal, in fact, before footage of his brilliant diving header had been tweaked online to show him flying to meet the ball in an orange cape. What followed seemed just as fantastic as any superhero story, with the Manchester United player striking again as the Netherlands turned a one-goal deficit into 5-1 win over the world and European champions.
The consequences were inevitable. The Dutch, having been considered too young and too weak to challenge for the Trophy, suddenly found themselves installed among the favourites. Yet faced by this sudden wave of optimism and elation, who else would be found bringing a nation back to earth than the team's serene and, yes, sensible skipper?
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