Van der Vaart insists he is worthy of Netherlands starting place at Euro 2012

Posted Sunday, May 20, 2012 by Goal.com

Rafael van der Vaart is adamant he still has a lot to contribute to Netherlands after stating that he still believes in his own ability ahead of Euro 2012.

The 29-year-old has been a regular in the Dutch national team since his breakthrough in 2001, amassing 93 caps along the way, including a World Cup final appearance in South Africa two years ago.

However, Wesley Sneijder's rise to prominence with Inter coupled with the continued excellence of Robin van Persie and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar have cast doubt over the player's role in Poland and Ukraine.

Van der Vaart told Algemeen Dagblad: "I've heard it so long now. Since I came through at Ajax, 'can Wesley [Sneijder] and Rafael play together or not'.

"Sometimes it does cross your mind, but I have now played almost 100 matches [for Netherlands].

"I know what I can do, and I will do everything to play, but I will not lose myself in all the speculation, there's no point. The boss [Bert van Marwijk] will pick 11 players, so I'll either play or I won't.

"I can be deployed in several different positions, on the left, on the right, as a No.10 or somewhere deeper. Regardless of where I play, I will do what is best for the team."

Netherlands have been drawn in Group B for Euro 2012 alongside Denmark, Portugal and Germany.