Robin van Persie watched on as his teenage son Shaqueel sustained what appears to be a significant knee injury during Feyenoord's Europa League clash with Real Betis on Tuesday evening.
The 19-year-old forward landed awkwardly following an aerial challenge and immediately clutched his knee in obvious distress.
Medical staff rushed to attend to the youngster before deciding he needed to be removed from the pitch on a stretcher.
The former Premier League star, who took charge of the Dutch club last summer, could only watch as his son was carried from the field during the 2-1 defeat in Spain.
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Before Shaqueel could be taken down the tunnel for further assessment, Van Persie stepped beyond his managerial duties to be with his child.
The Feyenoord boss requested that the stretcher be brought to the touchline, allowing him a moment with his injured son.
Van Persie knelt beside the stretcher, placing his hand on Shaqueel's shoulder and speaking to him quietly as paramedics surrounded them.
The young striker, who previously came through Manchester City's academy system, appeared devastated by the setback.
Robin van Persie watched on as his teenage son Shaqueel sustained what appears to be a significant knee injury
|GETTY
It was a poignant scene that highlighted the unique challenge Van Persie faces in managing his own son at senior level.
Speaking after the match, Van Persie admitted the prognosis appeared grim.
He said: "It's not looking good. Tests have to point out how he's doing, but the first signs are not looking good."
The former striker acknowledged the emotional weight of the situation, describing it as "heartbreaking" to witness his son in such pain.
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The 19-year-old forward landed awkwardly following an aerial challenge and immediately clutched his knee in obvious distress
|GETTY
Van Persie explained: "You hold your heart when any player goes down with an injury.
"It happened to be Shaqueel today, that's just how it is.
"I'm a coach, but I'm also his father, and I find this terrible. It's a bit of both.
"It's heartbreaking that he's going through this."
Medical staff rushed to attend to the youngster before deciding he needed to be removed from the pitch on a stretcher
|GETTY
When asked what he had said to Shaqueel during their touching exchange, Van Persie revealed: "I just wanted to give him that warmth and the feeling that we're there for him."
The injury comes at a particularly cruel time for the teenager, who had made headlines internationally less than a fortnight ago after netting his first senior goals for the Eredivisie outfit.
Both strikes drew comparisons to his father's renowned finishing technique.
Shaqueel had only been on the pitch for 10 minutes as a substitute when the incident occurred, having just provided the assist for Casper Tengstedt's goal that briefly gave Feyenoord hope of salvaging something from the tie.
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