Van der Vaart confirms Retirement

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Rafael van der Vaart has confirmed his retirement from professional football following an illustrious career with the likes of Ajax, Hamburg, Real Madrid and Tottenham.

"I just have to stop now. I am not here to rehabilitate, but to play football. The fun will be different and that's what I want to be. I wanted to become a football grandpa, but unfortunately that is not the case. At this moment I can only be grateful for all the years I was allowed to play football. All those players, staff and fans, from the ArenA, the Volksparkstadion, White Hart Lane to the Bernabeu, I just have warm feelings about it. It was a great time ,” said the Dutchman.

The playmaker made his debut for Ajax as a 17-year-old, making 117 appearances and winning the Eredivisie title twice before moving to Hamburg in 2005. A hugely successful stay in Germany was followed by positive spells at Real Madrid and Tottenham , before returning to the Volksparkstadion for a second stint in 2012.

Since 2015, Van der Vaart has struggled for game time, taking in brief spells with Real Betis, FC Midtjylland, and finally Esbjerg.

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