Villas-Boas counting on VDV

Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas insists Rafael van der Vaart is an integral part of his plans for the season despite speculation over his future.

Manager has midfielder in mind for new season

Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas insists midfielder Rafael van der Vaart is an integral part of his plans for the imminent season despite speculation over his future. The Holland international has been linked with a return to one of his former clubs Hamburg this summer, with coach Thorsten Fink admitting he would welcome the 29-year-old back to the Bundesliga outfit. The Dutchman played for Hamburg for three years between 2005-08 and scored 29 goals for the German club in just 74 matches. However, Van der Vaart dismissed such rumours as "just gossip" earlier this week and says he is focused on the upcoming campaign with Spurs. Croatia playmaker Luka Modric is likely to leave this summer when Tottenham receive the right offer, having been heavily linked with Van der Vaart's former club Real Madrid. But new manager Villas-Boas insists it is a different situation for the Dutch midfielder. "With Van der Vaart, at the moment I am absolutely counting on him," he said. "It is a totally different situation from Luka, who has been chased by different clubs in the past two seasons and is continuing to drag interest. "We have to make sure the club's interests are met, and it is up to the chairman to decide that."