In his first season at United under Alex Ferguson, Van Persie scored 26 league goals as the team secured the English Premier League title.
However, the second season was a disaster as Britain’s wealthiest club slumped to their lowest finish since 1990 and new manager David Moyes lasted only 10 months.
“It was a complicated season. Nothing worked for us,” Van Persie bemoaned. The striker had regular injuries which culminated in a sprained knee in March that ruled him out for six weeks.
“I was never worried that I could miss the World Cup, but it is true that this injury came at really the worst time,” he told Dutch media last week.
Brazil may be the last chance for Van Persie, who made his name at Feyenoord and became an icon at Arsenal before his £24 million ($40 million, 29.5m euro) move to Manchester in 2012, to claim a title on the international stage.
His reputation is already secure in England, where he is the 10th highest scorer in Premier League history with 134 goals.