Tottenham Hotspur legend Rafael Van der Vaart admits he turned down a move to Premier League giants Liverpool when rising through the ranks at Ajax, speaking to Ziggo Sport.
Long before the Dutchman was strutting his stuff alongside Luka Modric and Gareth Bale at White Hart Lane, the late Gerard Houllier was attempting to convince one of Europe’s most exciting young midfielders to put pen to paper with Liverpool.
Van der Vaart caught Houllier’s eye at the age of just 18, impressing during an Amsterdam Tournament at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
But the prospect of leaving Ajax behind – not to mention his mother’s homemade pastries – was not an idea Van der Vaart was all that fond of.
Why did Van der Vaart reject Liverpool?
“Gerard Houllier was there (at Liverpool) when I was eighteen. He called me,” says Van der Vaart, who also spent time at Hamburg and Real Madrid.
“However, a transfer to Liverpool was never a serious option. I liked my mother’s frikandeltjes too much, so I said: ‘no no no no no, I don’t want to. Please, leave me at Ajax!’
“Houllier was really disappointed. But I immediately said in the conversation: ‘I like (the offer), it’s nice but I definitely don’t want to go to Liverpool.’”
Van der Vaart would eventually move to the Premier League nine years later. He joined Tottenham from Real Madrid in an £8 million deal that must be considered one of the finest pound-for-pound signings this side of the century.
The prancing playmaker scored nearly 30 goals in just two seasons in North London, helping Spurs reach the Champions League quarter-finals and impressive fifth and fourth place finishes in the Premier League.
Now 39, Van der Vaart is now one of the more outspoken pundits on the footballing circuit – as Harry Maguire found out recently. He also enjoyed a brief dalliance in the professional darts sphere.
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