Photo: Tsutomu Takasu / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Van der Vaart is the kind of player I keep a soft spot for: a slight, left-footed playmaker who saw passes a beat before everyone else. Breaking into Ajax's first team at seventeen and winning their player of the year award in 2002 was no fluke, and the Cruyff comparisons, however heavy, were earned by his touch and vision rather than hype. At 176 cm he was never imposing, yet he bent games with a single ball. Now coaching, I am genuinely curious whether that instinctive flair can be taught. Watching him try to pass it on is its own quiet story.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Rafael van der Vaart
- Name (Japanese)
- ラファエル・ファン・デル・ファールト
- Reading
- らふぁえる・ふぁん・でる・ふぁーると
- Born
- February 11, 1983 (age 43)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Boar
- Origin
- Heemskerk, North Holland, Netherlands
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 176 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- association football player / association football coach / athlete
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 2002 AFC Ajax–player of the year
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Rafael van der Vaart born?
Born February 11, 1983 (age 43).
Where is Rafael van der Vaart from?
Rafael van der Vaart is from Heemskerk, North Holland, Netherlands.
What does Rafael van der Vaart do?
Rafael van der Vaart works as association football player, association football coach, athlete.
How tall is Rafael van der Vaart?
Rafael van der Vaart is 176 cm.
Association football player — see all → · Association football coach — see all → · More people from Netherlands →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-18
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.