Rafael Van der Vaart donned the famous white of Real Madrid for two seasons, playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo in one of them. The Dutchman, currently looking for a club where he can finish his career, defended his ex-teammate in an interview with 'Goal.'
Madridistas hold fond memories of Van der Vaart. The Dutch midfielder performed well during his two years at the Bernabeu but unfortunately never got his hand on a La Liga, Copa del Rey or Champions League trophy.
Following Ronaldo's debut season in Spain, Van der Vaart parted ways with Madrid. After being a key figure under Pellegrini, the left-footed wizard was surplus to requirements in Mourinho's Real. During his final season, Van der Vaart shared a dressing room with Ronaldo, a player who is often accused of arrogance.
"I've played with Critsiano, I know him and I know his personality. He's a really good guy. Even though some people think he's selfish and arrogant, they're wrong," stated Van der Vaart in an interview given to 'Goal.'
After a season to forget with Real Betis, the Dutchman returned to his homeland to reignite his career with Midtjylland, but it wasn't meant to be. In the 2017-18 season, he played just seven minutes and ended up training with the reserves. He flirted with the idea of a move to Bali United, but nothing materialised.
On top of discussing Ronaldo, Van der Vaart gave his thoughts on the World Cup final that the Netherlands lost to Spain: "I think they deserved it more because they played better football. That's football, you don't always get the chance to be world champions. We had a fantastic squad and great players."