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Rafael van der Vaart: 'I regret leaving Tottenham Hotspur'

Rafael van der Vaart admits his regret at leaving Tottenham Hotspur in 2012.

Former Tottenham Hotspur playmaker Rafael van der Vaart has admitted that leaving the North London club was "a stupid decision".

The Dutch international spent two years at White Hart Lane, playing in the Champions League, before leaving to rejoin Hamburg in 2012.

"It was a stupid decision, the most stupid in my career to leave Tottenham. I absolutely regret it because it was the best two years in my football life," he told The Mirror.

"When you see that team, when you have [Gareth] Bale, [Luka] Modric, me, [Aaron] Lennon, it was an unbelievable team."

The 32-year-old suggested that the arrival of Andre Villas-Boas, who did not see him as a first-choice player, as manager forced him to leave the club.

Capped 109 times by the Netherlands, last month he signed for Spanish side Real Betis on a free transfer after his Hamburg contract expired.

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Hamburg's Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart celebrates after scoring from the penalty spot during the German first division Bundesliga football match against Bayer Leverkusen on November 1, 2014
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