Robin van Persie says he was to blame for his infamous shirt swap with Andre Santos in 2012

Robin van Persie has admitted that he was to blame for the infamous half time shirt swap with his former Arsenal team-mate Andre Santos in November 2012.

Van Persie had left Arsenal for Manchester United in a controversial move just months previously and went on to score three minutes into his first game against his old club at Old Trafford.

Arsenal supporters were left infuriated when the pair swapped shirts as they walked towards the tunnel at half time, with many livid at Santos' actions

Van Persie told BT Sport: ‘You have to think about the consequences. You know, if I look back at that moment with Santos I think I should have done better there. 

‘Yeah, poor guy. It was all negative for him because (people thought) why are you swapping shirts at half time? 

'I do get that feeling that people might think that way. But Andre Santos was a friend of mine. We went for dinner, I was going to his house while I was playing at Arsenal. 

‘I think it was my first game back (against Arsenal) and at half time he asked me, but I should have thought about it a bit better and waited 20 metres then swapped inside the tunnel. It would have saved him a lot of hassle.’ 

United won the game 2-1, with Patrice Evra scoring their second goal before Santi Cazorla got a late consolation for Arsenal, who played the last 20 minutes with ten men after Jack Wilshere was sent off.