Friday, 21st September, 2012
Rafael van der Vaart believes Hamburg is a special club and is determined to prove his worth to the side’s fans.
Hamburg swooped to sign Van der Vaart from Tottenham Hotspur on transfer deadline day, splashing out €13M to take the Dutchman to Germany.
relatedNewsStory And Van der Vaart knows Hamburg well, having played for the club before moving to Real Madrid in 2008.
He arrived to find a side struggling in the Bundesliga and desperately crying out for the quality the attacking midfielder can provide. And so there is a real weight of expectation on Van der Vaart’s shoulders, something he well appreciates.
"I want to do the best possible and show the fans that I am worth the money", said the Holland star, before explaining exactly what Hamburg means to him.
"Sylvie [Van der Vaart’s wife, ed.] and I have felt at home nowhere like Hamburg. My son was born here, I know the way of life and I feel very good.
"Even in Madrid I stayed in contact with the people from Hamburg.
"It is hard to put into words and express my feelings, but HSV really is a special club. The stadium, the fans, the city, you won’t find it anywhere else in Germany.
"You have to realise that I may have left HSV four years ago for Real Madrid, but Sylvie and I thought about Hamburg every day we were in Madrid."
Hamburg face a tough task in the Bundesliga this weekend, with a visit from Borussia Dortmund. So far Hamburg have lost all three of their league matches.
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