Rafael van der
Vaart was greeted by a very special guest at his unveiling as a Real Betis
player... his NAN!
After his
grandmother Dolores took pride of place in the dugout to welcome him out on the
pitch, Van der Vaart then took a seat next to her and planted a big kiss on her
cheek.
Maybe it was joy
to see her, or maybe it was relief after ending a difficult second spell with
Hamburg.
The former Tottenham midfielder has left the Bundesliga
after narrowly avoiding relegation.
And there was a
sting in the tail for the former Holland international who was voted as the
biggest flop in the German top flight by his fellow professionals.
Van der Vaart has
penned a three-year deal with Betis, who are to embark on a comeback season in
Spain's top flight.
And he was
welcomed on to the pitch by thousands of adoring fans at the
Estadio Benito Villamarin in the Andalusian capital of Seville.
'I am very happy
to come here,' Van der Vaart told the club's official website.
'It's a great
club and I really want to start. For me it is a dream because my family lives
in Chiclana, very close, and I like playing in Spanish football.'
The former Real Madrid playmaker was born to a Spanish
mother and Dutch father before going on to represent Holland in the
international game.
But moving to
Seville, he will be closer to grandfather Rafael Garcia Peci and grandmother
Dolores who both live in the area where his mother was born.
It was rumoured
that Van der Vaart's favoured destination would have been Cadiz - even closer
to his grandparents - but with the club plying their trade in Spain's Segunda B
his salary would have been far beyond their means.
Source: dailymailsport.co.uk
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