Van der Vaart said the move was a dream for him due to how close his family live to the Andalusia club

He gave his grandmother a kiss at Estadio Benito Villamarin ceremony after she took a VIP seat in the dugout

Former Tottenham midfielder posed for pictures in a shirt on the pitch and waved to a huge crowd of supporters

Rafael van der Vaart has been unveiled at Real Betis after signing on a three-year deal from former club Hamburg


Rafael van der Vaart was greeted by a very special guest at his unveiling as a Real Betis player... his NAN!

After his grandmother Dolores took pride of place in the dugout to welcome him out on the pitch, Van der Vaart then took a seat next to her and planted a big kiss on her cheek.

Maybe it was joy to see her, or maybe it was relief after ending a difficult second spell with Hamburg.

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Rafael van der Vaart emerges from the tunnel as he is unveiled as a Real Betis player in front of his grandmother who was watching on

The former Tottenham midfielder salutes a huge crowd at the Estadio Benito Villamarin as he strode out on to the pitch in club colours

Van der Vaart gives the thumbs up to the cameras as fans in the stands try to attract the attentions of their new hero on Tuesday

Van der Vaart left Hamburg to move to Betis and he said that the move was a dream, showing off the club badge during his presentation

In the Andalusian capital of Seville, Van der Vaart was obviously pleased to move to an area that was close to his family connections

It is obvious that the former Real Madrid man is a family-orientated person, and he visited the benches to give his grandmother a kiss

The midfielder and his grandmother are all smiles in the dugout on what was clearly a big day for the entire Van der Vaart family in Seville

The former Tottenham midfielder has left the Bundesliga after narrowly avoiding relegation.

And there was a sting in the tail for the former Holland international who was voted as the biggest flop in the German top flight by his fellow professionals.

Van der Vaart has penned a three-year deal with Betis, who are to embark on a comeback season in Spain's top flight.

And he was welcomed on to the pitch by thousands of adoring fans at the Estadio Benito Villamarin in the Andalusian capital of Seville.

'I am very happy to come here,' Van der Vaart told the club's official website.

'It's a great club and I really want to start. For me it is a dream because my family lives in Chiclana, very close, and I like playing in Spanish football.'

Van der Vaart's grandmother Dolores looked delighted to see her grandson, and he said her presence was a big influence behind the move

In front of an empty stand at the Estadio Benito Villamarin, bathed in sunshine, skilful Van der Vaart plays some keepy-uppy with the ball

Van der Vaart has also played for Ajax in his career, and he had a previous spell at Hamburg before his return to the club in 2012

The former Real Madrid playmaker was born to a Spanish mother and Dutch father before going on to represent Holland in the international game.

But moving to Seville, he will be closer to grandfather Rafael Garcia Peci and grandmother Dolores who both live in the area where his mother was born.

It was rumoured that Van der Vaart's favoured destination would have been Cadiz - even closer to his grandparents - but with the club plying their trade in Spain's Segunda B his salary would have been far beyond their means.

The Betis playmaker was all smiles as he spoke out about his delight at moving to Spain - and the happiness was clear on his face

He's without a squad number for now, but Van der Vaart was able to show off his name on the back of a Betis shirt for the first time

Accompanied by a giant Coca-Cola bottle, Van der Vaart deals out another kiss - but this time it's to the Real Betis badge instead