By Chris Wright
Fresh off the back of being crowned the worst player in the Bundesliga last season by a jury of his peers, Rafael van der Vaart has left Hamburg and Germany altogether in order to sign a three-year-deal with newly-promoted Real Betis.
Van der Vaart has family ties in Andalusia, with his mother hailing from the village of Chiclana de la Frontera, just 78 miles down the road from Seville, where Betis are based.
“I’m very happy to come here. It’s a great club and I really can’t wait to start,” the 32-year-old Dutch midfielder told the club’s official website.
“For me it is a dream move because my family lives in Chiclana, which is very close by, and I like playing in Spanish football.”
As such, Van der Vaart’s unveiling at Betis was a family affair, with the former Tottenham man inviting along a very special VIP guest for the occasion: his grandmother, Dolores…
Altogether now…Awww.
(Photos: PA/Reuters)