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Rafael van der Vaart

Hamburg's Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart and Hamburg's Turkish midfielder Tolgay Arslan react during a free kick during the German first division Bundesliga football match FC Schalke 04 vs Hamburger SV in the German city of Gelsenkirchen on April 28, 2013.

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About Rafael van der Vaart

Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart (born 11 February 1983) is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for La Liga club Real Madrid and the Netherlands national team. His preferred position is central midfield as playmaker but is capable of operating on both sides of the midfield. Van der Vaart began his career at Ajax's famous youth academy and worked his way into the first team debuting as a 17-year-old. He switched to Bundesliga side Hamburg before moving on to La Liga giants Real Madrid.

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