The former Celtic boss may have found a new playmaking talisman in his early Tottenham tenure
It has proven a frustrating last decade or so for Tottenham Hotspur with regard to their long-running trophy drought, with the Lilywhites having lasted tasted glory back in 2008, following their Carling Cup victory over rivals Chelsea at Wembley.
Despite that lengthy, barren run, the north London outfit have still been blessed with a raft of top-class talents throughout that period, with supporters having notably been able to witness the likes of Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Harry Kane take to the field in the modern era.
Among those to have also dazzled and delighted the Spurs faithful was cult hero, Rafael van der Vaart, with the now-retired Dutchman having enjoyed a hugely impressive two-year stay in English football, following his arrival from Real Madrid back in 2010.
Despite the brief nature of his time at White Hart Lane – as the playmaker re-joined former club Hamburg in the summer of 2012 – the impact that the 5 foot 9 maestro made will certainly have been fondly remembered by those at the club.
Perhaps, while it is still early days, current boss Ange Postecoglou could have unearthed Tottenham’s next Van der Vaart in his short tenure thus far?
How good was Van der Vaart for Tottenham?
Much like with the recent addition of Brennan Johnson, chairman Daniel Levy left it late to get the experienced forward in the door on deadline day just over 13 years ago, with the frugal businessman forking out what proved to be a bargain fee of just £8m to prise the player from the Bernabeu.
Despite that last-gasp arrival, Van der Vaart took little time to make his mark in his new surroundings after contributing four goals and one assist in just his first six Premier League appearances, with that form contributing to the summer signing receiving the competition’s Player of the Month award for October.
That fine beginning set the tone for what was to be a sensational debut season as a whole for the then-Netherlands international, with the creative gem scoring 13 goals and providing nine assists in just 28 league games, while also scoring twice in just seven Champions League outings.
Described by manager Harry Redknapp as a player who was “always looking to get on the ball” while having “that knack of scoring goals”, the 109-cap wizard was just as instrumental in his second season at N17, bagging a further 11 goals and seven assists in the top-flight from his attacking midfield berth.
The playmaker-turned-pundit was able to form a particularly lethal combination with the aforementioned Bale as the pair scored 52 goals and registered 46 assists between them in just 75 outings, truly ripping defences to shreds both domestically and on the continent.
While being able to find a player of Van der Vaart’s ilk is no small feat, it looks as if Spurs could well have snapped up another majestic, midfield hero this summer, in the form of James Maddison.
In the modern market it is hard for any deal to be considered particularly low cost – as Van der Vaart’s was – with Postecoglou having previously laughed off suggestions that the club had secured a “bargain” with the signing of the former Leicester City man.
That being said, however, to have been able to land the 26-year-old for a fee of ‘just’ £40m – having had just a year left on his deal with the Foxes – can be considered particularly astute, with the England international already being dubbed the “signing of the summer” by pundit Joe Cole.
The Coventry-born maestro had caught the eye of Levy and co amid his stunning displays at the King Power Stadium in recent years, having scored 30 league goals across the last three seasons, in particular.
Having now inherited the number ten shirt from Harry Kane, Maddison is looking like being the man to emerge as the Lilywhites’ new talisman at the top end of the pitch, while also emulating Van der Vaart in providing both a creative and goalscoring threat as the link between the midfield and attack.
How has Maddison performed for Tottenham this season?
While it is not yet time to be getting carried away with the new season still in its infancy, it has been a stellar beginning to 2023/24 for both Maddison and Spurs as a whole, with the one-time Norwich City man swiftly making himself a vital presence in his advanced midfield berth.
Lauded as a “joy to watch” by The Athletic’s Tim Spiers during the recent 5-2 thrashing of Burnley, the 5 foot 9 menace has followed in Van der Vaart’s footsteps by making an instant impact in a Tottenham shirt, with two goals and two assists from just four league outings so far.
The £40m man was particularly impressive in that thumping victory over the newly-promoted Clarets, with the Evening Standard’s Dom Smith writing that he was ‘integral again to everything Spurs do’, having been his side’s ‘best player’ – despite the hat-trick for teammate Heung-min Son.
That all-round midfield masterclass was capped by a trademark, curling finish from range that sailed past a helpless James Trafford, with the home defence having been rather foolish to afford so much time and space to a player of such quality.
Currently ranked as the third-highest rated player in the division in relation to his 8.07 average match rating – as per Sofascore – Maddison also has the chance to mirror Van der Vaart after being nominated for last month’s Player of the Month gong.
The hope will be that such a fine start is no mere flash in the plan, with the former Leicester ace needing to kick on and continue to sparkle for the remainder of the campaign and beyond – as the legendary Dutchman did before him.
