ROBIN VAN PERSIE handed son Shaqueel his professional debut in Feyenoord’s Europa League defeat to Celtic.
The former Arsenal star, 42, was searching for a late equaliser in the clash.
So he turned to the bench and brought on striker Shaqueel.
However the move backfired as Celtic scored moments later to seal a 3-1 win.
But Van Persie defended the move, stating the decision was purely motivated by his role as head coach.
He said: “From a father’s point of view, when your son makes his debut that is always a special moment.
“But I wasn’t that busy with enjoying that moment, I was doing my work like Shaqueel was.
“I made that call as a coach, not as a dad because we needed a goal.
“Shaqueel is a player who can score a goal from all angles. That was the reason I brought him on.”
Shaqueel, 19, was first named in a Feyenoord matchday squad last weekend amid an ongoing injury crisis at the club.
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He has been at the Dutch side since the age of 11, having previously been part of Manchester City‘s academy.
Shaqueel signed a three-year professional contract in 2022, with Van Persie only joining as head coach in February.
