The Dutch midfielder enjoyed two seasons at Tottenham.
Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has admitted in an interview with magazine FourFourTwo that he feels regret at his decision to leave Spurs in the summer of 2012.
The 35-year-old joined Spurs from Real Madrid in the summer of 2010, going on to play 77 matches in all competitions for the north Londoners and amassing an impressive total of 28 goals and 10 assists in that time.
But the arrival of Andre Villas-Boas saw Spurs sign Gylfi Sigurdsson, and that pushed the Holland international down the pecking order at White Hart Lane before he decided to leave and return to former club Hamburg.
Van der Vaart says he should not have left Tottenham and recalls the decision with regret, wishing he had remained at Spurs for longer after two excellent years under Harry Redknapp.
“Andre Villas-Boas wasn’t the ideal coach for me. He bought Gylfi Sigurdsson and then told me he would be his new No.10. I found that a little bit strange considering what I’d achieved over the previous two years,” van der Vaart said.
“I started the first match of the season on the subs’ bench, so when Hamburg approached me, I thought it was a nice opportunity to go back. But I shouldn’t have left Tottenham, though it’s always easy to say that with hindsight.
“I had some brilliant times during my second spell in Hamburg, but the fact that we were in the relegation play-off in the second and third seasons wasn’t good.”
The 109-time Holland international went on to play for the likes of Hamburg, Real Betis and now FC Midtjylland in Denmark. However, his contract with the Danish outfit expires at the end of the season.
It remains to be seen if van der Vaart will indeed look to find a new home, or decide to put an end to his professional career after failing to make an impact in Denmark.
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