On September 29, German newspaper Bild published an exclusive interview with Dutch football legend Rafael van der Vaart.

Van der Vaart, 43, was once one of the most famous Dutch stars in Bundesliga history and one of Hamburger SV's best players in the 21st century. In the football podcast "Phrasenmäher", he shared many stories from his career and discussed topics such as which Dutch player Bayern Munich should sign.

Most expensive team dinner of his career

Van der Vaart recalled: "At Tottenham Hotspur, when I first joined the team, we had to sing and treat the whole team to dinner. I chose to host it at the Cavalli Club in Dubai. In the end, I had to pay around 20,000 to 25,000 euros — unfortunately, a bottle of champagne there wasn't just 100 euros."

Toughest opponent of his career

Van der Vaart said: "Mark van Bommel. He always led with his elbows and tried to influence the referee. On the field, he sometimes acted more German than Dutch."

Which Dutch star should Bayern Munich sign?

When asked which Dutch player Bayern Munich should sign, Van der Vaart gave his answer: "Frenkie de Jong of Barcelona. With all due respect, I think Joshua Kimmich's era might gradually fade at some point in the future, and Frenkie would make Bayern Munich stronger – even playing alongside Kimmich."

Which match would he most like to replay?

Van der Vaart chose the 2010 World Cup final between the Netherlands and Spain.

He said: "The 2010 World Cup final against Spain (0-1 loss after extra time). When Iniesta scored, my tackle was just a tiny step too slow. We were actually very, very close to winning that game. I think we were evenly matched with Spain; they were strong, and we weren't weak. Robben also had excellent chances, but in the end, we couldn't do it."

Which teammate's ability was severely underestimated?

Van der Vaart stated: "The greatest genius I ever encountered on the field during my career was Guti. His vision and passing ability were incredible."

Which teammate made you want to break their leg?

Van der Vaart recalled his experience with Ibrahimovic during his time at Ajax: "It was Zlatan Ibrahimovic during my time at Ajax. We actually respected each other, but we argued almost every day. I was the captain, and the only one who would talk back to him directly, which led to some friction between us."

"Both of us had bigger egos than many people, but everything is fine now."

Looking back now, which transfer would he have chosen differently?

Speaking about his return to Hamburger SV, Van der Vaart frankly admitted: "From a sporting perspective, it wasn't a wise decision, but I followed my heart."

Van der Vaart returned to Hamburger SV in 2012. If he had to choose again today, he said: "It might sound strange now, but I don't think returning to Hamburger SV was a wise decision. I was in very, very good form at Tottenham Hotspur. I wanted to help Hamburger SV, and at the time I thought, how could they possibly get relegated?"

"My heart belonged to Hamburger SV, but from a sporting perspective, it wasn't a good decision."

Any other dreams?

Van der Vaart stated: "I hope my son Damián—who currently plays for Jong Ajax—will one day score at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg, and then Lotto King Karl will sing 'Hamburg, meine Perle' again."

"If I were in charge of Hamburger SV, I would immediately bring him back as the stadium announcer."

Rating each period of your career (German grading system: lower number means more satisfied, higher number means worse)

Ajax (2000-2005): 2 points

Van der Vaart: "2 points! Only the last year wasn't very good, otherwise it would have been 1 point. I learned everything there."

First spell at Hamburger SV (2005-2008): 2 points

Van der Vaart: "Also 2 points. If it weren't for the Valencia jersey incident, it would have been 1 point. That was a stupid thing I did back then, but in the end, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because we had a very good season afterward, and then I joined Real Madrid."

Real Madrid (2008-2010): 3 points

Van der Vaart: "3 points. I signed a 5-year contract but only stayed there for two years and didn't win any trophies."

Tottenham Hotspur (2010-2012): 1 point

Van der Vaart: "1 point! I had two fantastic years there. The team was very strong, with excellent players like Luka Modrić, Gareth Bale, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Kyle Walker, and many others."

Second spell at Hamburger SV (2012-2015):

Van der Vaart said: "The first year was 1 point. The team was at the bottom of the table, and in my opinion, the squad lacked quality at the beginning. But then we significantly improved the team, with players like Adler, Diekmeier, and Jansen."

"The second half of the season was also good, but the last year and a half were more difficult. As captain, almost relegating such a club, I can only give myself 6 points."

Real Betis (2015-2016): 8 points

Van der Vaart: "8 points! Pre-season was good, but then I injured my ankle, and things went downhill after that."

Most important "transfer" of his career

After meeting his girlfriend Estavana Polman, Van der Vaart moved to Denmark for her, playing for FC Midtjylland and Esbjerg fB.

Van der Vaart joked: "Meeting Estavana, I'd give it 1+ points, it was the best transfer of my life."

"As for the sporting aspect, my level actually declined afterward, so I'd give it 5 points."

Overall career rating

Reflecting on his entire career, Van der Vaart rated himself: "1 point!"

He explained: "There's only one reason – so many young people dream of having everything I've experienced, and if I didn't give myself a 1 point, it would be ungrateful."

AF's PC site is now live! Browse full news, comments, match details and stats on your computer. Visit: www.allfootballapp.com