Now, here is a man who undoubtedly has a bright future ahead. He has it all -- bursts of speed, skill (remember the Holland-Portugal World Cup match?) and powerful shots (his freekick goal against Ivory Coast was one of the best of the tournament).

But he is yet to emerge from the shadow of his illustrious predecessors like Dennid Bergkamp. At 22 years, though, Persie is yet to hit the peak of his prowess.