Rafael van der Vaart aware of Tottenham's credentials before joining
Tottenham midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has flirted with the fans of his new club Tottenham, saying he knew exactly what he was in for when he joined Harry Redknapp's side in the summer.
The Dutchman, who left his childhood club Ajax Amsterdam in 2005 to play for Hamburger SV in the Bundesliga, was scooped up by Real Madrid in 2008.
After spending two seasons with the Spanish giants, van der Vaart fell out of favour and opted to move to Tottenham for £8million on 31 August.
While his new club may be less prestigious than nine-fold European champions Real, van der Vaart has denied that he was only searching for more playing time when he moved to London, saying that he knew Spurs' possession-based football would suit him well.
"Speaking to people in London, even before I had played a game, they told me that they love Spurs because the club has always sought to produce and provide entertaining football and that I would do well here," the 27-year-old told Hotspur magazine. "That
was so encouraging to hear because it confirmed the good feeling that I felt in my stomach when I first knew I was coming here."
John Metgod supported switch to Tottenham
Since joining, van der Vaart has made a strong impact for Redknapp's team, scoring four goals in six league appearances.
In the Champions League, the midfielder inspired his side to a fiery 4–1 win over FC Twente by scoring a goal before being sent off for a late challenge on Theo Janssen.
van der Vaart also revealed that John Metgod, a Dutch footballer who also played for both Real and Spurs during his playing career, helped him make the decision to join Spurs in August.
"I have always been aware of the wonderful players here like Jurgen Klinsmann and Glenn Hoddle while Johnny Metgod, a great friend of mine who scouts for the national team at home, told me that this would be a great club to join."
Tags: