Tottenham’s Rafael van der Vaart: Sometimes I miss playing for Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo, Higuain, Van der Vaart, Real Madrid, Valencia (Getty Images)

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Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has admitted that he “sometimes” misses playing for his former club Real Madrid.

Van der Vaart joined Tottenham from Madrid last summer after being deemed surplus to requirements at the Bernabeu. The Netherlands international has been a revelation for the London side in the Premier League and has scored ten goals in 21 league appearances.

On Tuesday night, Van der Vaart will play against the Blancos in Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie, and ahead of his return to the Bernabeu has revealed that he misses Spain.

“I am very happy; like always,” enthused the 28-year-old, according to Madrid’s official website. “It’s been a while since I haven’t played here and sometimes I miss it, but I am very happy in London. What I miss most is the weather and the country because my mom is Spanish.

“I want to play well but I don’t have any animosity towards Real Madrid. I want to win tomorrow and play well, but I don’t have any desire for revenge.”

The former Ajax star also believes that Madrid are the favourites in this tie and said: “We are happy to have made it this far. We are up against one of the best teams in the world. We have nothing to lose in this special tie.

“We haven’t played well in recent games, but this is a special match. We are having trouble scoring, but we have a great chance to get back on track in the Bernabeu.”

Van der Vaart played for Madrid for two seasons between 2008 and 2010.