Arsenal watched Robin van Persie over 40 times before signing him from Feyenoord, it has been revealed.
Van Persie joined Arsenal four years ago from Feyenoord, turning down big-money offers from Seville and PSV Eindhoven.
The player said: "Arsenal had watched me in over 40 matches.
"I couldn't believe what I read. They had written down every detail. Like how many times I went forward or if I came back to defend or if I shot at goal.
"This didn't just cover normal games or friendly matches but also what I had done during training sessions.
"When I had my first meeting with Arsene Wenger, he knew far more about me than I knew about him.
"He mapped out my future and I'm now exactly where I should be and fully on course. In the last two years at Arsenal, I've completely changed.
"The only thing that I strive for is to become better.
"I've set high standards for myself. Recently I missed a penalty and one could say that even the really great players have missed them. But I cannot accept that excuse. With my technique, it should definitely always be a goal."