Van der Vaart then & now: The Golden Boy began his darts career in 2019!

Van der Vaart began his career at Ajax's youth academy and worked his way into the first team, debuting as a 17-year-old. In 2003, he became the first recipient of the Golden Boy Award while at the club. In 2005, He moved to Bundesliga club Hamburger SV, then to Real Madrid in 2008, then on to Tottenham Hotspur in 2010 before returning to Hamburg in 2012.  Van der Vaart retired from football in 2018 and one year later, he began his darts career, joining the British Darts Organisation!