Rafael van der Vaart is a Dutch footballer who plays for and is the current captain of the Spanish La Liga club Real Betis. He also plays for the Dutch national team. His preferred position is as an attacking midfielder; he can, however, also operate in other positions, such as second striker. Van der Vaart began his career at AFC Ajax's youth academy and worked his way into the first team, debuting as a 17-year-old. His impact was so stunning that he was hailed as the new Johan Cruyff.[4][5] He was named Dutch Football Talent of the Year and became the first recipient of the Golden Boy Award while at the club. He moved to German Bundesliga side Hamburger SV, then to Real Madrid, then on to Tottenham Hotspur before returning to Hamburg in 2012.

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