Arsenal striker Robin van Persie is convinced his hard work in rehab will pay off at the World Cup.

The striker ruptured his ankle ligaments in November, the latest of a series of bad injuries that have blighted his career at Arsenal, but made an instant impact when he came on during his team's 2-1 defeat at Tottenham on Wednesday.

"The amount of hard work I put in (during my rehabilitation) was incredible," said Van Persie, who incorporated gym work, swimming and sprinting into his daily routine.

"I would start at 10am and get home at 8.30pm. Sometimes I was so tired I could not even drive.

"So I had no fear about how I would feel or about my shape when I would make my comeback.

"I just know that if my body is in good shape, I don't have to worry about a thing on the pitch. That's why I had the confidence to turn it all on immediately from the first minute I came on."