Van Persie hopes to replace hero Maradona's photograph with his own

Robin van Persie intends to replace the giant picture of Diego Maradona cradling the World Cup he has at home with one of himself doing exactly the same thing.

Maradona was Van Persie's hero as a boy, the legend he looked up to as he vowed to make a career in the game. Little could the 26-year-old have known that he would one day grace the game's finest stage as well, as he plays the final on Sunday. Van Persie said: "I've got a really big picture of Maradona on the wall at home in my room. It's an unbelievable picture of him holding the World Cup. He's on his teammates' shoulders. If we win I want that picture with me holding the World Cup, having hopefully scored in the final."