Rafael van der Vaart
Dutch playmaker who shone at Ajax and Real Madrid.
Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart (born 11 February 1983) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He began his career at Ajax's youth academy and worked his way into the first team, debuting as a 17-year-old. He moved to Hamburger SV, then to Real Madrid, then to Tottenham Hotspur before returning to Hamburger SV in 2012. He had brief spells playing in Spain and Denmark before announcing his retirement in 2018, and return in 2019 with a testimonial match. Van der Vaart earned 109 caps for the Netherlands between 2001 and 2013. In 2019, he began his darts career, joining the British Darts Organisation.
- Role
- Attacking Midfielder
- Club Affiliation
- AFC Ajax (Youth & Senior)
- First Senior Appearance
- April 19, 2000
- Status
- Retired from Professional Football
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Van der Vaart was born in Heemskerk, North Holland, to a Dutch father and a Spanish mother from Chiclana de la Frontera, Cádiz. He grew up on a caravan park belonging to Dutch Travellers. He played for local club De Kennemers before joining the Ajax Academy at age ten. At Ajax, he debuted on 19 April 2000. He was named Netherlands' Talent of the Year for the 2001–02 season. He announced he was leaving Ajax at the end of the year (2004). He transferred to Hamburger SV in June 2005.
In Their Own Story
The atmosphere turned tense during the 2004-05 season when Van der Vaart was named team captain by Ronald Koeman. Tensions flared on August 18, 2004, during an international match against Sweden where teammate Zlatan Ibrahimović injured him, leading to accusations that the Swede had intentionally tried to hurt Van der Vaart and his subsequent sale to Juventus two weeks later. Friction with Koeman escalated when Van der Vaart refused to play on the wing in a Champions League match in December, resulting in him being stripped of the captaincy. Ultimately, the combination of poor performances in the first half of that season and persistent injury problems led him to announce he would leave the club at the end of the year.
Reader's Guide
Van der Vaart was known for his playmaking skills and drew comparisons to Johan Cruyff. He was named Dutch Football Talent of the Year and became the first recipient of the Golden Boy Award while at Ajax. He represented the Netherlands at three UEFA European Championships and two FIFA World Cups, reaching the final in 2010.
Did You Know?
- Van der Vaart was the first recipient of the Golden Boy Award.
- He scored a hat-trick for Real Madrid against Sporting de Gijón in September 2008.
- He was stripped of the Ajax captaincy after refusing to play on the wing in a Champions League match in December 2004.
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