Rafael Van der Vaart ‘snubbed Liverpool for Tottenham’

Tottenham’s deadline day signing Rafael Van der Vaart has revealed he opted for White Hart Lane over Anfield following his last-minute switch to the Premier League.

The former Real Madrid star contemplated late offers from both Spurs and Liverpool and was forced to choose between the two English clubs both vying for a top-four finish. It had originally been expected that the Netherlands international would remain at the Santiago Bernabeu until the January transfer window.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp had said that Bayern Munich failed to match Real’s valuation of the playmaker, however Van der Vaart dismissed the suggestion, explaining that there had in fact been no offer from Germany.

“Liverpool were interested. Bayern were not interested,” said Van der Vaart. “In the end you have to have a good feeling, and with this manager I got a good feeling. I am happy and I am going to Spurs.

“I am going to give it my best and hopefully I will play a lot of games and be important for the team. I hope to get a lot of goals and have a lot of fun.”

The former Ajax and Hamburg attacking midfielder also confessed his international team-mates had convinced him to experience the Premier League. He will join Everton’s John Heitinga, Liverpool’s Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel and Manchester City’s Nigel De Jong as Dutch stars in English football.

“They were always telling me, ‘You have to come to England’,” he added. “Now it’s happened and I am really looking forward to playing against Dirk, against Nigel, against Heitinga.”

Van der Vaart will be available for selection for his first game in the Premier League when Spurs travel to the Hawthorns to face newly-promoted West Brom.