Tottenham Hotspur forward Rafael Van Der Vaart tells DNA that it was really strange for him to go and play at his former club Real Madrid because when he reached there all the people were still the same to him. He feels Hotspur dropped too many points against the teams down the bottom of the league which didn’t help their cause.
A lot of players struggle with the pace of the Premier League, why do you think you settled so quickly?
I have to say at the beginning that I had some problems because the speed was so high and it was really tough to play 90 minutes but when you play in a good team that plays great football, especially at the beginning of the season, it was quite easy to settle in but it was hard work for me.
Many people at first were talking about your partnership on the pitch with Peter Crouch. Why do you think you clicked so quickly?
Crouch is a great player. He is a big, tall guy but he can also play fantastic football. I remember in my first training session his heading ability was fantastic. He sees everything and when I played behind him it was easy to make goals. I think my first five or six goals in matches were because he gave me the ball so he has been a really important player.
Your move to Spurs happened quite quickly, did you speak to anyone before joining?
Not really. I had some contact with Edgar Davids as we have the same agent and he told me it was a great club and the people are nice, he said the league would fit me well. It wasn't easy to leave Real Madrid because I had a great life there. They are the biggest club in the world so I was quite happy but when Tottenham came in I spoke with the manager and the chairman I fell in love with the club and wanted to join Tottenham.
How do you reflect on your time at Real Madrid and what was it like going back there with Spurs in the Champions League?
It was really strange because when I left Real I was on international duty and I never went back to Madrid so when we played against them at Bernabeu it was strange because I came there and all the people were still the same to me and it was a good feeling because I have a lot of friends there but when you lose 4-0 it is quite disappointing. I had a great time at Real Madrid but now is a new time for me.
When you play in a team like Real Madrid with all those superstars and a high turnover of managers, how does that affect you?
To train everyday with the best players in the world makes you a better player but you want to play games, be in the starting eleven and be important to the team. I played there for two years and I feel I had quite a good time. Fighting for a place in the team every week makes you a stronger person.
There have been a lot of positives to take from this season for Spurs but how painful has it been for the players not to get Champions League football again?
It was a long season, maybe too long for us. We were really disappointed because if you look at our squad we have one of the best in the Premier League. We dropped too many points against the teams down the bottom of the league but we always played well against the top teams.
Do you see your future at Spurs?
I have a contract here and I am happy so I want to stay here.
How important will it be for you to have a proper break this summer?
Mentally it is always important to go on holiday, lie on a beach, enjoy the sun and not think about football. That way when you come back you are fresh when you start a new season. I think that is important especially when you lose a World Cup Final like I did last year. I had just two weeks off, then changed clubs so it was a hard year for me but also a great one.
What was your home life like growing up?
I was brought up in a mobile home and I was always playing football on the street. I had a lot of friends the same age at the school I went in front of our home and I used to play football there. You had to fight for your position and for me that was important at that time. I loved it. The best players are born on the streets. That is why in Brazil they have so many good players, because they learn to play out on the streets. It is really important.
Is it true your father wrote a letter to Ajax that earned you a three-week trial?
Every year you can write to Ajax asking if your son can train a few times there and they said yes to me. The first training session I was so nervous. There were good players there, better than the ones I was used to at my amateur club so it was really hard but they obviously saw that I had talent and they asked me if I wanted to play at Ajax for one season and I was so happy. It was a nice moment.
How did Ajax's academy influence you and help you develop?
I think the Ajax academy is one of the biggest in the world. They have so many good trainers. We always trained with the ball. Not running or conditioning, just ball technique. The Netherlands might be a small country but we have many good players and managers so that says something about the Dutch school.
Ajax must still be very close to your heart?
They won the championship recently and I was so happy for them.
Did your wife's cancer scare put football and life into perspective?
It still does. At that time we were in Madrid and we didn't speak the language so it was difficult to go to the hospital and explain what was wrong. My wife did fantastic. Of course it was a shock but the doctor always told us it was going to be ok. It was hard because she had the chemotherapy but I always went with her to the hospital. We are stronger now and I can see, my wife, she is enjoying life much more than before. It was a hard time but also a good time.
Holland had a fantastic World Cup but there must have been huge disappointment at the end of it?
We were so close but we probably lost to the best team in the world in Spain. We had a few chances to win the game and that is what is really frustrating. But when the game is over I try to move on because you can do nothing about it. It was a great experience.
As a child what was your first impression of the World Cup?
When I was a kid the first memory I have of international football was when Holland won the European Championships in 1988. I was five years old and I remember the few highlights like the goals from Marco van Basten. I still have the tape at home and then a few years later he was my coach.
Finishing fifth and the Europa League, some may see it as a consolation prize but how important is it for Spurs to be playing European football?
It is important because I want to play every two or three days. If you win the Europa League, it is also a great prize to win. Of course it is not the same as the Champions League, everyone wants to play in the Champions League, but I wouldn't say I am too big of a player to play in the Europa League.
The win against Liverpool was Tottenham's first at Anfield in 17 years. Is that a sign of what this side is capable of?
In big games we are always there and I was quite surprised because we were under pressure. Had Liverpool won the game they would have been qualified for the Europa League but we were the better team from the first minute and you saw the confidence coming back, we played great football and at the end when we won it was a great feeling for us. Now we have to win against Birmingham. There is still one game to go.
Do you think Spurs will come back stronger next season?
I am sure of it. I think every year we are going to be better.
There is still a lot riding on the Birmingham game. What do you expect of it?
It is a great game for them and for us. I hope at the end that we can win but we will see. If we can play like we did against Liverpool then we will win.
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