It was getting difficult at Real Madrid: Rafael van der Vaart

Dutch playmaker Rafael van der Vaart tells DNA playing under four managers in two years at Galacticos wasn’t easy  

What prompted you to take up the Tottenham Hotspur offer? Real Madrid is a big club...
It was an easy decision. I really like this club. At Madrid, it was so difficult to play so it was better to come to a top club in England like Tottenham, where it is sold out every week. It’s like a family here. It is great. I had a similar feeling when I was at Hamburg and I am confident I will do well here.

For me, it is important that a club really wants you. I did not have much time to think about the move, it was the final one or two hours of the transfer window but I was really excited to come to England. I called my wife and said we are going to London. She was a little bit shocked, but in the end she was as happy. I am looking forward to playing in the North London derby. I have spoken with Robin van Persie and he said it is the greatest derby in the world.

You said your move to Real was one of the greatest moments of your life…
I was only there for two years but I had four different managers and that always makes it difficult. It is a great club with great people there but at the end of the day you want to play football and it was difficult to play every game there. I did play a lot of games there and, for me, last season was a good one. I scored a few goals but in the end, after two years, it was better to leave. 

You grew up in a Caravan Park. How did that mould you as a person?
For me it was really nice because it was a different lifestyle. Everyone was looking and saying ‘Isn’t it strange to live there?’ For me, it helped me because I was like a street fighter. You have to fight for your place. That was the way my family lived. My father was born there and it is a lifestyle. Maybe it is not a normal lifestyle but I always liked it. I always played football on the street, it was an easy life. Then when I was 10 years old I went to Ajax and played there for almost 12 years. When I was playing in the first team for Ajax I bought a house for my parents. The lifestyle changed and now they are living in a normal house. It was the first time they lived in a house so it was strange. It was a lifestyle decision, it was better.

Would it be right to say that since your Dutch teammates left Real, your desire to stay at the club dwindled?
I don’t want to look back at Real Madrid. For me that’s in the past. Now I want to play.  For me the most important thing will be to enjoy my football and it would be a dream to win something with this club. I think this is a good match, Dutch players playing in England.

Which league do you think brought out the best in you?
I have already played in Germany and Spain but England is something special and I am excited to play here. It is the best league in the world. I am still only 27 and that is a great age to play. There is so much ahead of you. I am feeling fit so I feel my best years are coming.

The Dutch team drew a lot of flak after the WC final. Your comments
It was great for us to reach the World Cup final. It was a pity to lose in the final minutes but it was a great experience and I was captain for the last 20 minutes. When you play in big games like that then it is easier to play in big competitions like the Premier League or Champions League.

The paparazzi culture in UK can sometimes take its toll on a player.

The only thing that counts is football. My private life or the silly stuff, I don’t like it. I only want to play football.

Who inspires you the most and why?
I have a few sporting heroes. Romario was always my idol. He scored goals and I liked his style. He was playing in Holland and is a great player as well as a great personality. I also liked Pete Sampras. I like to play tennis and he was my favourite because he was the best.