There was a special moment for the Van Persie family, however, as the manager named his 19-year-old son Shaqheel on the bench, his first involvement with the first team. They had previously worked together when he coached the club’s youth team.
“Of course it’s special, but ultimately, I don’t favour him or disadvantage him because he’s my son,” said Van Persie senior. “That wouldn’t be fair either. I treat him like any other player.”
Like Celtic, Feyenoord desperately need to pick up points. Ten was enough for three clubs in last season’s league phase, but it wasn’t for two of them with the 16-time Dutch champions a point worse off than their Scottish counterparts.
Their top scorer this season is Japan international Ayase Ueda, who has scored 13 goals in 18 outings, with winger Anis Hadji Moussa stepping up this season having been on loan at Vitesse last campaign.
On the other side could be Leo Sauer, the Slovakia wide who man featured in all of his country’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers, while £8.8m summer signing Sam Steijn was made captain by Van Persie immediately after arriving at De Kuip.
With Celtic nursing their way through an injury crisis, Feyenoord have also found themselves shorn of key men including reported Arsenal and Bayern Munich target Givairo Read and Canada full-back Cyle Larin.
It is a fixture that will evoke memories of the 1970 European Cup final when Jock Stein sent seven Lisbon Lions on to the San Siro pitch in Milan with the hope of repeating their glory of three years previously, only to lose 2-1 after extra time despite taking the lead through Tommy Gemmell.
This clearly isn’t of that magnitude, but the outcome could have serious repercussions when it comes to progression in this season’s Europa League – and Van Persie knows it.
