Van Persie named player of the month

Manchester United forward Robin van Persie has been named the English Premier League player of the month for December.

The Dutchman scored five times in six games for United in a prolific month that saw his team go seven points clear of title rivals Manchester City during the busy festive schedule.

And van Persie, who leads the scoring charts with 16 goals, was delighted to win the award.

“It was a big month for us,” he told the club’s official website.

“You have certain periods during a season when it goes your way and December was one of those periods.”

Van Persie joined United from Arsenal in a deal worth 24 million pounds in the off-season and has since made 26 appearances in all competitions, scoring 20 goals.