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#1 Rafael van der Vaart
AFC Ajax (2000-2005)
Trending
Real Madrid (2008-2010)
Rafael van der Vaart made his Ajax debut aged just 17 in the year 2000. Coming in through the ranks, Van der Vaart was hailed as the next 'Johan Cruyff'. In the 2001-02 season, he suffered a major knee injury which ruled him out for most of the season, but that did not stop him from being named the Netherlands' talent of the year. Despite several injuries, Van der Vaart made a serious impact at the club. In five seasons at Ajax, he made 117 appearances and scored 52 goals as an attacking midfielder. The Dutch midfielder left the club in 2005 to join German side Hamburg.
In August 2008, despite major interests from various European clubs, Van der Vaart decided to join Real Madrid for a fee of about 13 million Euros. He joined his Dutch teammate Wesley Sneijder at the club having signed a 5-year deal. Van der Vaart stayed at Real Madrid for two seasons before he was told by coach Manuel Pellegrini that he was surplus to requirements and should find a new club for himself. He made 58 appearances for the club scoring 11 goals before he left the Spanish capital to join Tottenham Hotspur in 2010.
