Former Manchester United striker Robin van Persie has conceded that his bond with manager Louis van Gaal became strained last season.
The pair were known to have shared a strong relationship from Van Gaal's stint in charge of the Dutch national side, but following his appointment as United boss last summer, Van Persie struggled for regular starting action at Old Trafford.
Consequently, the striker joined Turkish side Fenerbahce last week and when asked by the Sunday Times how the last 12 months had affected his rapport with Van Gaal, Van Persie revealed that the "atmosphere changed".
"I asked to play in the reserves [last season], to get my minutes, but after was on the bench again. The atmosphere changed between me and Louis and people at the club saw it, but I was always professional," said the 31-year-old.
"I was still thinking we could come back from holiday and start from scratch, but when I came back it wasn't an honest battle any more. Fighting to get back in the team wasn't given to me as an option.
"I didn't get angry or emotional. These things are part of football, part of life. You have to make the best out of any situation so I'm doing this by moving on."
In total, Van Persie scored 58 goals in 105 outings for United following his 2012 switch from Arsenal.
Liam Apicella
