Van der Vaart radically changes his view: 'Got it completely wrong, I’m a fan of him'

Rafael van der Vaart has been won over by Hans Vanaken, who has been a fixture at Club Brugge for years. "He is proving that I had him completely wrong", the Ziggo Sport analyst said ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash with Aston Villa.

A few years ago, around an international match between the Netherlands and Belgium, Van der Vaart tore into Vanaken. "Everywhere I hear Vanaken, Vanaken, Vanaken... Well, he really cannot play at all. A complete donkey."

Back then, Van der Vaart was far from convinced by the 34-year-old. "You can see that he looks a bit wooden. At first, that put me off him a little", the former midfielder admitted in his analysis of the Belgian veteran.

Now, though, Van der Vaart has completely changed his mind about the Club Brugge captain. "He is now proving that I saw it completely wrong", the North Hollander honestly said as he revised his opinion of Vanaken.

"Every match he plays with so much control and footballing intelligence. And he also has good vision. I have become a huge fan of him", the lyrical Van der Vaart added.

Since joining Club Brugge in 2015, Vanaken has made 571 appearances. The attacking midfielder has scored 152 times for the Belgian giants and provided 115 assists.

For Belgium, the Club Brugge captain has won 40 caps. Vanaken scored at the most recent World Cup in the round of 16 against the United States, a 4-1 win. Belgium's World Cup ended in the quarter-finals, where eventual world champions Spain proved too strong.