Robin van Persie: son Shaqueel suffers serious knee injury in Seville

Robin van Persie said he was left heartbroken after his 19-year-old son Shaqueel suffered a serious knee injury during Feyenoord's Europa League defeat to Real Betis in Seville on Thursday night, being stretchered off just eight minutes after coming off the bench. Van Persie had introduced Shaqueel in the 73rd minute to replace Cyle Larin, but the forward collapsed following an aerial duel at the Estadio Benito Villamarín when his knee buckled.

He signalled to the bench, could not put weight on the leg and was carried off to a standing ovation as Real Betis winger Antony offered a consoling tap. The incident left Feyenoord forced to finish the match with 10 men after they had already used all five substitution windows, and it visibly devastated Van Persie on the touchline.

As Shaqueel was carried past the technical area, Robin embraced his son, placing a protective arm around his shoulder. Speaking after the match Van Persie said, "It's not looking good," adding that "the first signs are not looking good." He also said: "I'm a coach, but I'm also his father and I find this terrible," describing the moment as "heartbreaking." Midfielder Luciano Valente said he found it "enormously painful" to see the striker go off like that.

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