Robin van Persie has hit back at criticism of his Netherlands captaincy and insists that he was correctly awarded the role by Louis van Gaal.
Van Persie has been captain for Netherlands since 2013 and led his country to a third-placed finish in the 2014 World Cup, though Dutch boss Van Gaal decided to appoint Wayne Rooney as captain of Manchester United this summer.
However, a poor start to their Euro 2016 campaign has seen Van Persie heavily criticised and amidst fall outs with fellow players such as Klaas Jan-Huntelaar.
“I have the feeling I’m in the middle of the group. The critics don’t hurt me, because I get appreciated by people who can really judge,” he said.
“I receive the appreciation and feel it every day. The Netherlands is a country with a lot of opinions. Those get harder and harder, increasingly ruthless. That’s a trend. I have to deal with it.
“Everyone can have his opinion. That’s the world we live in. I was chosen by Louis van Gaal on the basis of who I am and what I did and am doing. I don’t see why I should change.”
