Reading consider swoop for former Tottenham star Rafael van der Vaart after he phoned asking for deal- Rafael van der Vaart is looking for a new club this summer
- Midfielder plays for Real Betis but has struggled for regular football
- Jaap Stam says ex-Spurs star phoned Reading asking for move
- Stam says he will consider signing former Holland team-mate
Reading are considering signing Rafael van der Vaart after the former Real Madrid and Tottenham midfielder phoned the Championship club asking to join them.Van der Vaart is struggling for first-team football at Real Betis and will be allowed to leave this summer despite having 12 months left on his current contract.
It appears the 33-year-old former Spurs man is keen on a return to England with one of his old Holland team-mates Jaap Stam, now in charge of second tier Reading.
Speaking at the club's kit launch on Wednesday, Stam told reporters: 'I can tell you that he phoned us about wanting to play for us.
'We didn't have any contact with him, we weren't looking for him. He phoned us because he wants to prove to everybody in Europe that he is still a very good player.'He phoned Brian [Tevreden] and asked if he could play for us, I told Brian that we'll think about it. But I haven't spoken to Rafael at all myself.'We're thinking about him of course. He is in our minds, he's a quality player but he's got a history of injuries so we have think about that as well.'
Stam joined Reading earlier this summer and has started something of a Dutch revolution by bringing in both coaches and players from his home country.
Danzell Gravenberch has signed from Dordrecht, Joey van den Berg has been brought in from Heerenveen and two-cap Dutch international Roy Beerens has signed from Hertha Berlin.
According to various reports, Van der Vaart has spent the past two months working with a personal trainer in Amsterdam as he looks to keep his fitness up while searching for a new club.
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