Robin van Persie has revealed how a conversation with ex-Arsenal teammate Sol Campbell transformed his game.

The Dutchman was disappointed after his first two campaigns at the Gunners and went in search of finding a solution.

"Over the years I kept asking questions and I even wrote stuff down to myself,' Van Persie explained on Jake Humphrey's The High Performance podcast.

"So at one point at Arsenal after two years I wasn't satisfied, I wasn't happy, it was going okay but not good enough. So I started to write a letter to myself: what are my positives and what are my negatives. And then I noticed I was lying to myself. I was making myself feel better.

"The main thing I think for everyone who is listening is keep asking yourself even stupid questions and write letters to yourself on how it's going.

"That letter I wrote myself was more about me as a player. What I liked about myself and what I could improve."

Asked what was in the 'improve' column, Van Persie replied: "Goals. I should score more goals, I should make more runs in behind. By talking to Campbell, Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergamp, Robert Pires and all these guys.

"Sol told me once, he said, "Robin, the way you play, it's a dream for a defender like me" and I said: "Why, tell me why!".

"He said: "Because you want every ball into your feet. You have to force me to make a choice to close you down or to follow you. You have to make runs in behind".

"Then I came up with the rule: okay, out of three actions at least one of them has to be in behind because I have to hurt defenders because Sol Campbell told me he doesn't like it.

"So I was constantly asking myself questions and listening to players who were better than me."