Rafael Van der Vaart on cloud nine

Friday 10 October 2008

Holland manager Bert van Marwijk has a long list of injury, but Rafael van der Vaart is at his disposal - as always, one might say.

Where team mates such as Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie stumble from one injury to the next, Van der Vaart has to think for a long time to remember when he last missed a match with the Dutch national team because of an injury.

"That was two years ago in the Amsterdam Arena against Bulgaria, when Wesley scored that great free kick," he says.

It was few years ago after the 2004 European Championships that former Ajax star Sjaak Swart sent him to Dick van der Toorn.

This physical therapist brought Van der Vaart in contact with Tsjeu La Ling, the former Ajax winger who runs a company that sells dietary supplements.

It turned out that Van der Vaart's diet contained too many fats and too little carbon hydrates and protein.

The player realized that talent alone wasn't enough for a long career in professional football.

Thanks to the treatments of Van der Toorn and Ling's special diet Van der Vaart was the one covering most kilometers of all the Dutch players.

"I still get treated regularly," says the midfielder who think that Euro 2008 earned him a contract at Madrid.

"I knew they were monitoring me. I think the tournament won them over."

Van der Vaart's eyes glisten when Real Madrid comes up.

"Indeed, it's a dream come true. It can hardly get any better than this. Madrid is a great city on top. We have found a nice house and live only 300 meters away from Wesley (Sneijder) and John (Heitinga)", his boyhood friends at Ajax.

"Isn't it great how it all worked out?"

But Van der Vaart realizes that it's only just begun.

"I am on cloud nine at the moment. Everything is new. I have scored 3 goals against Gijon. But it's all about performing well. That is hard, but that decides whether I succeed or fail in Madrid."

Eight year after his debut in the first team of Ajax he is now married to pretty girl Sylvie Meis and together they have a son, Damian.

He turns 26 in February.

"And yet I have played 61 games for Holland," says the man who has scored most goals of all the current internationals and seems destined to put on the captain's armband after Van Bronckhorst resigns.

"You have to earn that armband as it brings along a lot of responsibilities. But to me it is not a goal as such. I want to win prizes. The Champions League with Real Madrid and a championship with Oranje. We have shown this summer how well we can play football. Now all we need is a bit of German luck and we'll be all right."