Profile Rafael Van Der Vaart

Personal information

Full name : Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart

Date of birth : 11 February 1983 (age 27)

Place of birth : Heemskerk, Netherlands

Height : 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)

Playing position : Attacking Midfielder

Second Striker

Current club : Tottenham Hotspur

Number : 11

Youth career

1993–2000 Ajax

Senior career :

2000–2005 Ajax

2005–2008 Hamburger SV

2008–2010 Real Madrid

2010– Tottenham Hotspur

National team :

2001– Netherlands

Club career

Ajax

Van der Vaart arrived across the ranks at Ajax with national teammates John Heitinga and Wesley Sneijder. Initially he signed for Ajax onto a trial cornerstone as a ten-year-old but was ultimately enrolled permanently as soon as impressing the coaches. At the age of 17, Van der Vaart made his debut for the Ajax senior side within a 1–1 draw with FC Den Bosch onto 19 April 2000 within the 1999–2000 season.

Rafael van der Vaart with Ajax

In the 2000–01 season, Ajax executive Co Adriaanse increased Van der Vaart's performing moment via transporting him towards the attacking midfielder position. He was voted as European Talent of the Year via Italian football website CalcioManager.

The next season, Van der Vaart suffered a severe knee sting and was out for numerous months. Shortly as soon as replacing towards affair, he re-injured the equivalent knee onto two April 2002, requiring an campaign that embroiled the removal of his entire meniscus. He missed the lie down of the season and ceased with fourteen goals.

In 2002–03, Ajax won the Amsterdam Tournament, although sting limited Van der Vaart towards 21 league impressions, within which he scored 18 goals. An sting constrained him towards miss the run-in towards Ajax’s successful Eredivisie campaign and their Dutch Cup success against FC Utrecht within the 2001–02 season, but it did not give away him being named Holland’s Talent of the Year. And the consecutive season, as soon as his replace towards health, he scored a vital goal within the Champions League away towards Lyon, which powered Ajax into the knockout stages. Back onto the domestic front, meanwhile, Rafael scored an impressive 18 goals within 21 league toys within the Eredivisie.

In 2003–04, he was once again an influential figure, as Ajax alleged another league title. By that level, van der Vaart had firmly established himself as one of the good at of the Ajax team, not towards mention one of the most popular musicians within Holland.

Van der Vaart was named team captain via instructor Ronald Koeman for the 2004–05 season. During an international match against Sweden onto 18 August 2004, he was stung via otherwise Ajax teammate Zlatan Ibrahimović which ruled towards the sale of Ibrahimović towards Juventus two weeks afterwards consecutive controversial charges that the Swede had deliberately endeavoured towards pain Van der Vaart. As a outcome, Van der Vaart took Ibrahimović's dot as a striker.[8] His on-pitch operation suffered due towards being performed out of grading and he was stripped of the team captaincy via Koeman as a outcome, whilst the media assailed him for being overweight and spending too much moment within the Dutch nightlife with his then-fiancée, The Music Factory VJ Sylvie Meis.

In September, a league match against ADO Den Haag was temporarily halted via the officials due towards incessant chants via negative fans organised at Meis. The incident, coupled with his ongoing sting complications that resulted within an medium of alone 23 league impressions within five seasons with Ajax, ruled him towards proclaim that he was deserting the club at the end of the year.

Hamburger SV

By already his dramas were attracting interest from a number of of Europe’s top clubs. He had previously been physically associated towards AC Milan, but within the summer of 2005 he signed for Bundesliga outfit Hamburg SV. Van der Vaart's €5.5 million shift towards Bundesliga club Hamburger SV, onto 1 June 2005, elevated a lot eyebrows. Many else top-flight clubs had guided interest within the midfielder but he chose Hamburg. The Ajax legend Johan Cruyff himself commented within his De Telegraaf column, "I don't know what towards say approximately it or what Rafael van der Vaart is doing within Hamburg." He performed a massive portion within Hamburg’s impressive away form that season, scoring within each of their former four toys onto the road; within fact, within the course of his former one and a halves seasons with the German club, they did not lose a single match away from house whilst he was onto the pitch. Van der Vaart ceased his former season as the team's top scorer as Hamburg ceased third within the league and won the 2005 UEFA Intertoto Cup. He supposed the team captaincy for the 2006–07 season. The 2006/07 season proved towards be a difficult one for his club, and despite Rafael’s three goals within the Champions League category levels, they made an morning exit from the competition, whilst languishing for numerous months within the bottom halves of the Bundesliga table. However, the arrival of Rafael’s countryman Huub Stevens as brain instructor observed Hamburg march up the standings and they ceased the season within a respectable 7th site, qualifying for, and indeed successful, the Intertoto Cup.

"I am predetermined towards spend another season within Hamburg," van der Vaart told Germany's Welt am Sonntag paper. The Hamburg captain and Netherlands midfielder van der Vaart, 25, remarked he had not signed a pre-contract with Real Madrid and added that he wished for another nice season at the northern Germans. "Now we possess the team towards accomplish something," remarked van der Vaart, whose team spaced fifth within the last Bundesliga season. In the 2007–08 season, Van der Vaart scored 12 league goals as Hamburg ceased fourth within the league, whilst ranging the round of sixteen within the UEFA Cup. During the UEFA Cup away victory at FC Zürich, he tore ankle ligaments and was out of affair for numerous weeks. Despite interest from clubs such as Chelsea and Valencia, he reported that he would stay at Hamburg until the end of the season, but opted out of signing a contract extension.

Real Madrid

Van der Vaart within affair for Real Madrid

Towards the end of the 2007–08 season, Van der Vaart was associated towards a move towards numerous clubs incorporating Atlético Madrid and Juventus. Atlético made a €15 million invitation for the Dutchman, which Hamburg denied, and within the end it was their cross-town rivals whom got Van der Vaart's signature instead.

On 4 August 2008, Real Madrid and Hamburg reached a €13 million dealing for Van der Vaart's shift, Real Madrid's alone summer signing. He signed a five-year contract for an undisclosed amount. Van der Vaart debuted within a 2–1 preseason victory, four days afterwards, against Independiente Santa Fé, whereas he scored the tying goal and provided an assist.

He affected his squad number from 19 towards his favored number 23 as soon as teammate Wesley Sneijder took number ten consecutive Robinho's 31 August exodus towards Manchester City. He spotted his league debut for Real Madrid with a knock against CD Numancia within a 4–3 victory. On 24 September, he scored his former career hat-trick within a 7–1 beating of Sporting Gijón. In October 2008, Van der Vaart was one of the a lot La Liga musicians towards be tabled for the Ballon d'Or but the honor ultimately went towards Manchester United musician and future teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. For the latter portion of the 2008–09 season, Van der Vaart was particularly utilized as an impact spare via instructor Juande Ramos which ruled towards speculations of a fall-out between instructor and player. Despite shift rumors linking him with Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool, he denied having any relates with the English clubs.

In the summer of 2009, it was invested that Van der Vaart would flee Real Madrid as soon as being told he was not going towards be portion of the team's blueprints via instructor Manuel Pellegrini. His number 23 jersey was even granted towards Esteban Granero within preseason, deserting him without a squad number. However, towards the end of summer shift window, he ultimately arrived towards an dealing with Real Madrid towards stay with the club as soon as the squad dimensions had been decimated towards 25 musicians as Dutch compatriots Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar deserted the club. Van der Vaart was handed his original number 23 jersey whilst Esteban Granero was granted number 24. After a wait of 4 toys, Van der Vaart was finally covered within Pellegrini's squad list towards face Villarreal onto 23 September. An sting towards Kaká provided Van der Vaart a likelihood towards establish himself as a key musician for Los Blancos again. On twenty December he scored two goals onto a 6-0 victory against Real Zaragoza. Van der Vaart reported his yearn towards stay at Real Madrid, at lowest until the end of his contract.

Tottenham Hotspur

Van der Vaart with Tottenham Hotspur

On 31 August 2010, two hours ahead of the shift window finished, Tottenham Hotspur made an bid of £8 million for van der Vaart. According towards Spurs executive Harry Redknapp, an £18 million shift towards Bayern Munich had folded the day ahead of and Van der Vaart had suddenly become much cheaper, although such a price reduction was afterwards denied via Real Madrid. Due towards complications with computer servers consumed within the transaction between Tottenham and Real Madrid, deterring the necessary paperwork from being finalised, Spurs asked special dispensation from the Premier League towards allow the shift towards proceed. The Premier League proved onto 1 September that the shift had been permitted as soon as they provided Tottenham special dispensation due towards 'technical problems'. Subsequently, it was reported that Van der Vaart would be remunerated within the region of £44,000 a week, and wear the number 11 shirt for Spurs. Van der Vaart afterwards denied speculation that he had been a failure at Real Madrid, claiming that he always provided his greatest again the last few years for both club and nation, and that he needed towards appear his quality for his novel club.

Van der Vaart made his Premier League debut for Spurs within a 1–1 draw against West Bromwich Albion onto 11 September 2010, and his Champions League bow for the club three days afterwards against Werder Bremen, providing an aid for Peter Crouch within a 2–2 draw. Van der Vaart scored his former Premier League goal from the disadvantage dot within a 3–1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers onto 18 September 2010. After activating his Spurs career via scoring three goals within four Premier League fits, and with a goal and an aid within two Champions League fits, Van der Vaart was named Goal.com World Player of the Week onto 4 October 2010. He was afterwards named Premier League Player of the Month for October. After a three week layoff across sting, Van Der Vaart replaced towards affair with both goals within a 2-1 victory away towards Aston Villa onto Boxing day 2010.

International career

Van der Vaart (right) with Wesley Sneijder, performing for the Netherlands

Rafael van der Vaart benefited the notice of the youth team instructors and was branded up for the youth squads. He performed within the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship with show senior teammates Maarten Stekelenburg and John Heitinga and former Real Madrid teammates Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Arjen Robben.

The 18-year-old Van der Vaart otherwise made his senior international debut against Andorra onto six October 2001. He was a member of the squads that participated within Euro 2004, Euro 2008, and the 2006 World Cup. Despite figuring prominently within a number of qualifying level fits, Van der Vaart has had a scarcity of luck when it arrived towards the final tournament.

Euro 2004

A sub-par operation via the Dutch during their gate toy of Euro 2004 enticed former executive Dick Advocaat towards distort the side's formation into one which he felt the skilled Van der Vaart did not install within to. With Advocaat's novel system seemingly working, Van der Vaart would be decimated towards play a bit-part role at Euro 2004, as the Oranje reached the semi-finals.

2006 World Cup

Despite that setback, Van der Vaart caused a number of superlative dramas within the Bundesliga the consecutive season, and it appeared that Van der Vaart's curve towards gleam onto the big level was towards finally arrive — at the 2006 World Cup. However, niggling sting complications resurfaced, and Van der Vaart was not risked via Dutch instructor Marco van Basten for the gate World Cup encounter against Serbia and Montenegro. With victory within that gate toy, the national team instructor would once again choose towards perpetuate fielding a Van der Vaart-less lineup. And once again, Rafael van der Vaart was decimated towards a bit-part role within the squad although since otherwise he has become a many frequent fixture within the activating XI.

Euro 2008

Van der Vaart was branded up for Euro 2008 despite lacking numerous qualification fits due towards an ankle injury. As instructor Marco van Basten had decided towards distort their formation towards 4–2–3–1, Van der Vaart was deployed within the midfield along with Wesley Sneijder and Dirk Kuyt or Robin van Persie, rear lone striker Ruud van Nistelrooy towards great effect. In the gate toy of the competition, the Dutch team won 3–0 against the earth winners Italy with Van der Vaart performing a role within the build-ups. Van Basten decided towards field him again within the activating line-up within the next match against France; the Oranje afterwards went onto towards victory 4–1.

2010 World Cup

Despite patient a torrid moment at club grade, Van der Vaart remained a first-choice musician for van Basten's successor Bert van Marwijk within the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. On ten September 2008, he ended a 10-month goal drought with a vital knock against Macedonia within a 2–1 win. He ended the campaign with two goals and numerous meaningful assists.

On 12 August 2009, Van der Vaart captained the Dutch within the absence of Giovanni van Bronckhorst within a friendly against England. He scored the second goal off a Gareth Barry mistake towards put the Netherlands two goals up within the former halves but Jermain Defoe netted a brace towards lid a 2–2 draw.

Van der Vaart was covered within the preliminary squad for the 2010 World Cup within South Africa. On 27 May, Netherlands executive Bert van Marwijk informed that Van der Vaart was portion of the final squad of 23 participating within the competition. He was within the activating line-up for their former match within the competition, a 2-0 victory again Denmark. Van der Vaart otherwise participated within the consecutive two fits against Japan and Cameroon, but ultimately forgotten his dot within the activating line-up towards his newly recovered fellow midfielder Arjen Robben as soon as being substituted within the match against Cameroon. He was carried off the pitch as soon as granting away a disadvantage towards Cameroon via congestion the ball with his arm from a free kick. However he made another impression within the semi-final against Uruguay, as soon as arriving onto for the stung Demy de Zeeuw. He assisted Oranje victory the match with 3-2, hence sending them towards the final. In the final, he also performed, substituting Nigel de Jong just ahead of sting time. Netherlands performed Spain and forgotten the toy 1-0 towards an Andrés Iniesta goal. After Giovanni van Bronckhorst was substituted off, he was handed the captain's armband.