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Premier League star and World Cup runner-up made pro darts debut after quitting football
Dec 31 2025 17:16 · By Kasra Moradi/Senior Sports Journalist · 66 Reads
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Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rafael van der Vaart tried his hand at professional darts a year after hanging up his boots. Van der Vaart, who reached the 2010 World Cup final with the Netherlands, finished his 18-year football career at Esbjerg, Denmark, in 2018.
The Dutchman was a well-known darts fan in his playing days, undoubtedly inspired by compatriots Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld, like many others.
He was even pictured alongside Vincent van der Voort during his Tottenham days , while the darts star was in action at the PDC World Championships in 2011.
That eventually saw him swap the pitch for the oche at the BDO (British Darts Organisation) Denmark Open in Esbjerg in May 2019, where his brother, Fernando, also competed at the event.
While mainly comprising little-known Scandinavian darts players, the Denmark Open has been won by some of the sport's biggest names, including Phil Taylor, Eric Bristow, Raymond van Barneveld and Gary Anderson.
Ex-Real Madrid and Ajax star Van der Vaart made a dream start in the competition, kicking off his campaign with a 4-2 win over local player Thomas Anderson.
But he could not turn that into a memorable run, having been knocked out by Mogens 'Turbo' Christensen, who represented Denmark at the international level and was a former semi-finalist in the event.
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The former midfield maestro averaged just 54 as he suffered a 4-0 drubbing. On the same weekend at the Denmark Masters, he endured a 4-0 defeat by former WDF (World Darts Federation) World Cup runner-up Per Laursen.
Before his professional debut, he had participated in celebrity events, teaming up with Van Gerwen in early 2019 at the Celebrity Darts Championship, where the duo was beaten in the final.
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Van der Vaart, 42, played more than 500 senior games across his football career. He began at Ajax before enjoying spells at Hamburg, Real Madrid, Tottenham, Real Betis, Midtjylland and Esbjerg.
He also made 109 appearances for his country, scoring 25 goals, and was part of the team that lost to Spain in the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa. The Dutchman made 63 Premier League appearances for Spurs between 2010 and 2012, scoring 24 goals.