Rafael van der Vaart aims for Real Madrid success
Despite rumours suggesting Real Madrid player Rafael van der Vaart will be making the switch to a club in England, the former Ajax and Hamburg midfielder has insisted that he is going nowhere.
Van der Vaart was quoted by De Telegraaf as saying: "I'm determined to stay at Real Madrid. I want to stay here and succeed at Real. It's a shame that the English press has misquoted me. They've written things that are simply not true.” English Premier League (EPL) giants Chelsea and Liverpool had been interested in the Holland playmaker, but his determined comments will come as a blow to the EPL teams as they prepare their squads for the new season.
The 27-year-old has fallen down the pecking order at the Bernabeu and had been linked with a move away from the club this summer. The attacking midfielder joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2008 and has since made 58 league appearances for the club, scoring 11 times. The departure of long-serving midfielder Guti to Turkish outfit Besiktas will pave the way for Van Der Vaart to stake a claim in the first team, but he faces strong competition from Brazilian international Kaka, Esteban Granero and new signing Ángel di María.
The playmaker joined the Ajax academy at the age of 10 and came through the ranks with international colleagues John Heitinga and Wesley Sneijder. He had signed initially on a trial basis but was snapped up permanently after impressing the academy coaches. He made his first-team debut for the Dutch side in April 2000 at the age of 17 against FC Den Bosch. The following season, coach Co Adriaanse employed Van der Vaart as an attacking midfielder in an attempt to increase his playing time, a role where he plies his trade to this day. In 117 games for Ajax, he scored 42 times before securing a move to Hamburg in 2005.
Van der Vaart was a big hit in his first season at the Bundesliga club, having ended up top scorer with 16 goals in all competitions. For the 2006-07 season, he assumed the club captaincy and guided Hamburg to a fourth-place finish the following season. His display in helping the team reach the round of 16 in the UEFA Cup helped attract aspiring suitors such as Chelsea and Valencia, but ended up signing a five-year deal with Real Madrid.
Van der Vaart has also enjoyed success with his national team. He made his senior debut in 2001 against Andorra and was part of the squad that took part in the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, 2006 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2008 and 2010 World Cup tournaments. Following a below-par Dutch performance in their opening game at Euro 2004, national coach d**k Advocaat employed a system he did not feel Van der Vaart could fit in to, and the midfielder was reduced to a bit-part role as the Oranje reached the semi-finals.
He had greater success in the tournament four years later, when he was employed in a three-man midfield behind Ruud van Nistelrooy to great effect. At the 2010 World Cup, he started the first two games, but lost his place once Arjen Robben had recovered from injury. He featured in the final of the World Cup against Spain having replaced Nigel De Jong, but Holland ultimately lost the match 1-0 due to an extra-time goal from Andreas Iniesta. In all, he has scored 16 times in 83 appearances for his country.
If he is afforded the opportunity by new Madrid manager Jose Mourinho, this talented footballer has shown he has what it takes to become a success at the Bernebau.
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