Shaqueel van Persie (19), the son of Dutch legend Robin van Persie, scored his first professional goals in a dramatic match, where Feyenoord were defeated by city rivals Sparta Rotterdam with a score of 4-3.
In his third appearance with the first team, Shaqueel came on as a substitute midway through the second half and almost secured a point for Feyenoord.
Sparta took the lead five minutes before the end of the first half with a goal from Joshua Kitolano, while Mitchell van Bergen doubled the lead ten minutes into the second half.
After the introduction of Shaqueel van Persiet, Hwang In-beom narrowed the score, but Shunsuke Mito restored Sparta's two-goal lead.
Van Persie's moment
Then came the young Van Persie's moment: first he made it 3-2 with an elegant backheel, then he equalised with a spectacular scissor kick, evoking a proud reaction from his father and Feyenoord coach Robin van Persie on the bench.
However, in the extra minutes, Joshua Kitolano scored his second personal goal and brought Sparta the victory. The defeat continued Feyenoord's negative streak, which has now gone six games without a win in all competitions.
Shaqueel van Persie made his first-team debut in November, in a 3-1 defeat to Celtic in the Europa League. At the time, Robin van Persie was criticised for starting his son in a major European match, but he defended his decision.
"I made the decision as a coach, not as a father, because we needed a goal. Shaqueel is a player who can score from any position," the former Arsenal and Manchester United striker had declared. /Telegraph/
