Robin van Persie’s popularity at Manchester United since joining from Arsenal in the summer is demonstrated by news that his is the best-selling official Barclays Premier League shirt in North America this season.
Figures released by Sporting ID, which produces the names, numbers and sleeve badges of the Barclays Premier League, show that the United forward, who has scored 11 Premier League goals so far, leads his United strike partner Wayne Rooney, who was found to have had the best-selling shirt in the League’s history. In third is Chelsea striker Fernando Torres.
United States striker Clint Dempsey is the biggest mover, rising to sixth after his move from Fulham to Tottenham Hotspur in August. Dempsey is the first US player to make the top 10 in North American sales.
The global strength of United can be seen as four of the nine top selling jerseys in the US are Man United players. That Javier Hernandez is one of the four is not a big surprise, but I am surprised that Shinji Kagawa’s jersey is ninth, considering that I don’t believe that he has every played in the U.S.
“North American soccer fans continue to support the Barclays Premier League as fanatically as anywhere else, often waking at 4am to catch games on TV,” said Sporting iD’s global sales and marketing director Robert Thayne. “Players like Van Persie, Eden Hazard, Clint Dempsey, Steven Gerrard and Jack Wilshere are top-class players playing for the biggest clubs in the world and their fans in North America are really no different than the ones who live in the UK.
“They are clearly showing their support of these players and their club by personalizing jerseys with official Premier League player names, numbers and sleeve badges.”
Top-selling official Barclays Premier League player jerseys in North America
1. Robin van Persie (Manchester United)
2. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
3. Fernando Torres (Chelsea)
4. Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
5. Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
6. Clint Dempsey (Tottenham Hotspur)
7. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
8. Javier Hernandez (Manchester United)
9. Shinji Kagawa (Manchester United)
10. Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)
(Based on name and number sales for the 2012/13 season to date)