In his early Tottenham stint, the former Tottenham Hotspur may have discovered a new playmaking talisman.
Tottenham Hotspur’s trophy drought has been frustrating over the last decade or so, with the Lilywhites last tasting success in 2008, following a Carling Cup victory over rivals Chelsea at Wembley.
Despite that long, barren spell, the north London club has been graced with a slew of world-class players over that time, with fans witnessing the likes of Gareth Bale, Luka Modric, and Harry Kane take to the field in the modern age.
Among those to have also dazzled and delighted the Spurs faithful was cult hero, Rafael van der Vaart, with the now-retired Dutchman having enjoyed a hugely impressive two-year stay in English football, following his arrival from Real Madrid back in 2010.
Despite the brief nature of his time at White Hart Lane – as the playmaker re-joined former club Hamburg in the summer of 2012 – the impact that the 5 foot 9 maestro made will certainly have been fondly remembered by those at the club.
Perhaps, while it is still early days, current boss Ange Postecoglou could have unearthed Tottenham’s next Van der Vaart in his short tenure thus far?
How good was Van der Vaart for Tottenham?
Much like with the recent addition of Brennan Johnson, chairman Daniel Levy left it late to get the experienced forward in the door on deadline day just over 13 years ago, with the frugal businessman forking out what proved to be a bargain fee of just £8m to prise the player from the Bernabeu.
Despite that last-gasp arrival, Van der Vaart took little time to make his mark in his new surroundings after contributing four goals and one assist in just his first six Premier League appearances, with that form contributing to the summer signing receiving the competition’s Player of the Month award for October.
That fine beginning set the tone for what was to be a sensational debut season as a whole for the then-Netherlands international, with the creative gem scoring 13 goals and providing nine assists in just 28 league games, while also scoring twice in just seven Champions League outings.
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