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.

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.