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His, as well as his brother's name is Spanish. His mother is a pure-blooded Spaniard, and his grandparents and his mother's side - Rafael and Dolores - live near the city of Cadiz. In Euro-2004, he could legitimately represent the Spanish national team.
He was born on February 11, 1983 in a town with 36 thousand inhabitants called Chemskerkas, and started playing for "De Kennemers". His favorite athlete is tennis player Pete Sampras, and his favorite stadium is "Nou Camp" in Barcelona.
He has been included in transfer plans for clubs for several years now, but he would like to represent his club. "Although, if Madrid calls, I won't hang up," the player says. "But now my main goal is to perform successfully in the tournament and win the champions title with my partners. I can't wait for the first match against the Germans. Matches with this team are always something special. They can be compared to matches between Ajax and Feyenoord, accompanied by an extraordinary atmosphere and tension." By the way, transfer issues can be discussed through his father Ramon or through his agent - former Danish national team player Soren Lerby.
He was born in February 1983. He could have scored even more goals, but in February 2002 he received an injury and had his knee meniscus operated on. Just as he was recovering, it became clear that the surgeon had made a mistake, and during the second operation, the entire meniscus had to be removed. Two injuries prevented the defender from playing the entire 2002/03 season, but he managed to score 18 goals in 21 games and improve his contract terms in February, now valid until the summer of 2006.
At the beginning of the 2003/04 season, Ronald Koeman appointed him as vice-captain, and when Jari Litmanen returned to his native Finland, the captain's armband officially passed to the 21-year-old defender. He stands out with a rich technical arsenal, accurate shots, a good sense of goal scoring, tactical sophistication, the ability to stand up in duels and a healthy dose of individualism. He has been compared to Johan Cruyff, although in terms of play, he is closer to Dennis Bergkamp or even Michel Platini.
He is married to actress and television star Sylvie Meis, and the couple is often compared to David and Victoria Beckham. He is often referred to as VDV, and the full name of the footballer described here is Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart.
