"Van der Vaart is a fantastic player"

Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp is over the moon about the quality of summer signing Rafael van der Vaart.

In a shock move during the last moments of the transfer deadline, Van der Vaart was snapped up from Real Madrid for a paltry £8 million. 

In comments quoted by Tottenham's official website, Redknapp said he was impressed with the class of the World Cup finalist.

He said: "He looks like a top player, real class.

"He plays in that position in the hole just behind the striker and finds space to get the ball.

"He's always on the move and always looking for the ball.

"He can receive the ball when it's tight and use his body to shield it, and if he's marked he can still receive the ball. That's a fantastic ability to have.

"He sees a pass, has a great left foot - he's a real quality player."

The 27-year-old has scored one and made another goal for Spurs so far this season.