Robin van Persie and Louis van Gaal were all hugs and high-fives at the World Cup a year ago but now the striker is leaving Man United for Fenerbahce... so where did it all go wrong? 

• Robin van Persie is on the verge of leaving Man United for Fenerbahce
• Dutch striker has fallen out of favour with his compatriot Louis van Gaal
• It is in stark contrast to their exuberant celebrations at World Cup last year
• Most believed Van Gaal would know how to get the best from Van Persie
• And initial signs in first half of the season were fairly promising
• But problems with form and fitness in 2015 mean the end for RVP  

By Adam Shergold

Published: 06:39 EST, 11 July 2015 | Updated: 07:05 EST, 11 July 2015

After a season of sheer hell, this was to be Manchester United's match made in heaven.

Robin van Persie soared through the air head-first, guided the ball magnificently over Iker Casillas and made a beeline straight for his manager on the sidelines.

Louis van Gaal's face was a picture - eyes bulging, smile beaming, he high-fived his striker like he was a team-mate in a school playground kickabout.

Louis van Gaal prepares to high-five Robin van Persie after the striker's brilliant header against Spain

The exuberant celebration during Holland's 5-1 win lifted the hearts of Manchester United fans

At this point, it looked likely that Van Persie would be the main man for Van Gaal at Old Trafford

Louis van Gaal insists Robin van Persie is still in his peak...

Van Persie scored twice that night as Holland smacked five past Spain and the hearts of Manchester United fans were lifted.

The combination of Van Persie and Van Gaal surely could not fail to return them to their traditional role of Premier League title challengers, banishing memories of the awful David Moyes era.

These exuberant celebrations would be coming soon to Old Trafford, Van Gaal the one manager who truly knew how to get the very best from his compatriot.

But fast-forward 13 months and the unthinkable is happening - Van Persie is leaving, his relationship with Van Gaal apparently in tatters.

The 31-year-old will fly to Istanbul this weekend to complete his move to Fenerbahce, who are offering him a very sweet deal indeed.

Van Persie's choice is this: Spend the final season of his United contract languishing on the bench, doomed to remain out of favour as Wayne Rooney and whoever Van Gaal brings in lead the line.

Or accept the £240,000-a-week offered up by Fenerbahce for three years, scoring plenty of goals in front of a football-crazed public who will adore him from the moment he steps off the plane.

It's a no brainer. Yet the deterioration of his relationship with Van Gaal is still as sad as it is surprising.

One year on and Van Persie is looking at an Old Trafford exit, most likely to Turkish side Fenerbahce

The striker, pictured near his home on Friday, is set to fly out to Istanbul this weekend to close the deal

Van Gaal and Van Persie enjoyed a close relationship, with the manager making the striker his captain 

Van Persie would accompany his manager on scouting missions for the national team 

It was expected that Van Gaal would enable Van Persie to rediscover his best form at Manchester United

Before last summer's World Cup, Van Gaal spoke in glowing terms of how much he was looking forward to working on a day-to-day basis with his national team captain and talisman.

The pair evidently shared the same philosophy about how the game should be played and during his long spells out with groin, hamstring and knee injuries during 2013-14, Van Persie had even accompanied the national team coach on scouting trips.

So all seemed rosy for Van Persie when it was confirmed Van Gaal would take over at Old Trafford following the World Cup.

Having won United the title with 30 goals in 2012-13, he had been disappointed when Sir Alex Ferguson decided to retire. And that disappointment turned to disillusionment under Moyes, with whom he never saw eye-to-eye, criticising his training methods.

Holland's excellent performances at the World Cup - they would eventually finish third - only heightened the feel-good factor and it seemed inevitable Van Persie would rediscover his very best form for United too.

Van Persie's prolific goalscoring guided United to the title in 2012-13, Sir Alex Ferguson's last in charge

Van Persie celebrates his first Premier League title as his first season at Old Trafford ends in success

Things quickly unravelled under David Moyes, with Van Persie struggling for form and fitness

The striker didn't see eye-to-eye with Moyes, criticising his training methods during an ill-fated season

There was even talk Van Persie would be appointed United's captain but this honour went to the longer-serving Wayne Rooney instead. It is possible this was a lingering source of resentment.

Van Gaal even eased him back, conscious that the tournament in Brazil would impact on those injury-prone legs, and Van Persie didn't complete a full 90 minutes until September 14.

United may have struggled to find form, but the early signs were promising for Van Persie, who scored against Leicester and West Ham, and captained the side for three matches in October when Rooney was suspended.

His third goal of the campaign was a vital one, smashing the ball home to earn a point against Chelsea at Old Trafford, though Van Gaal didn't take kindly to him removing his shirt in celebration and picking up a 'stupid' booking.

United's upturn in form towards the end of the year coincided with a glut of goals for Van Persie, who scored twice at Southampton and also in games against Hull, Liverpool and Newcastle United.

But in other matches he was pretty much anonymous. Against Arsenal, despite United winning 2-1, he touched the ball a mere 13 times and was replaced with 15 minutes to go.

Yet while Van Persie may not have been anywhere near his predatory best, he was still productive and certainly superior to United's expensive loanee Radamel Falcao.

Van Persie scored a vital last minute equaliser against Chelsea at Old Trafford 

He showed glimpses of his previous best in certain matches before the end of 2014 

Van Persie showed his predatory finishing skills by scoring twice in a 2-1 win at Southampton in December

The second-half of the season, however, was a different story. In January, he responded spikily when asked whether he expected to be given a contract extension beyond 2016, saying: 'It's not up to me. For the moment I'm staying here for 18 months. That's it really.'

He made staying sound like an inconvenience and game-by-game, his influence waned. Not only that, but the old injury worries returned, with Van Persie suffering ankle ligament damage in the 2-1 loss at Swansea on February 21.

In his absence, United won six league matches on the bounce, apparently conclusively proving to Van Gaal that Van Persie wasn't needed. The manager seemed more willing to persevere with Falcao and that was damning indeed.

Injury problems struck once again in the New Year, however, and United prospered in his absence

The striker gets a painful blow to head from Cambridge United keeper Chris Dunn in an FA Cup tie

By the end of the season, it was obvious that Van Persie had fallen out of favour with his manager

Van Persie increasingly had to play second fiddle to expensive flop Radamel Falcao 

Sportmail's Star Man Season Stats: Robin van Persie

And so it would seem Van Persie's three years at Old Trafford will conclude with a couple of run-outs for the under 21 team, a missed penalty against West Brom and 90 minutes on the bench against Hull. Hardly how he imagined it.

A year on from the high-fives and highlights of the World Cup, their relationship appears to have completely broken down.

Van Gaal is known for his ruthless style of management and anyone who cannot prove form and fitness is at risk of being culled.

Van Persie cannot offer such guarantees. It's time to take the money and run.

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