Stefan de Vrij said Lazio gave him the 'best feeling' when considering his options this summer. VI Images via Getty Images

Stefan de Vrij has said he is delighted to join Lazio as the Italian club announced the signing of his compatriot Edson Braafheid.

Several hundred Lazio fans stayed up until after midnight to welcome Netherlands international De Vrij when his plane arrived with a delay on Tuesday, which only served to convince the defender that he had made the right choice.

"I didn't expect a welcome like that," he said at his first news conference since leaving Feyenoord on Thursday. "It was incredible seeing all those fans. They made me feel loved, and I knew right away what I can come to expect here."

De Vrij, voted the best defender of the World Cup this summer, had other offers this summer, but said: "Lazio were the only ones who came looking for me before the World Cup, and they are the ones who gave me the best feeling.

"Many clubs were after me. Not Roma, as has been mentioned in recent days, and not Manchester United either. I decided to join Lazio and I'm really delighted."