Rafael van der Vaart: 'Real Betis move a dream'

Rafael van der Vaart has hailed his move to Real Betis as a "dream" after signing a three-year contract.

The Dutch midfielder left Hamburger SV after a poor campaign in the Bundesliga, choosing to sign for newly-promoted Betis after turning down Ajax.

The 32-year-old, who has 109 caps for the Netherlands, admitted that his Spanish roots were a major factor when deciding to join Betis.

Van der Vaart is quoted by Goal.com as saying: "I'm very happy to come here. It's a great club and I really can't wait to start. For me it is a dream because my family lives in Chiclana, which is very close, and I like playing in Spanish football.

"I always give 100& when I play. I want to win and score goals, besides giving assists. This stadium is always full and that's why I really want to win many games."

It will be Van der Vaart's second spell in La Liga, having previously played for Real Madrid.