Spurs supremo Harry Redknapp had admitted that he was unlikely to add to his squad before the summer window slammed shut at 6pm BST on September 1.
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But minutes before the deadline, reports emerged that Spurs had made a last-gasp attempt to sign Dutch international Van der Vaart after his asking price reportedly dropped from £18 million to £8 million.
"It happened so fast," he said.
"They got in touch with me for the first time only a couple of hours before the deadline. Then it all happened in no time. I was happy, both clubs were happy, so now it's all good."
"I was fighting for something that was lost, although I didn't feel like I lost," he said.
"I played 58 games, scored about 12 or 13 goals and got a lot of playing time last season. But at a certain moment, you're done with fighting. You have to feel appreciated and respected.
"The relations with the fans were great but with the club, well not so much.
"I'm heading for a new challenge and I'm looking forward to that. I'm excited, the English competition is wonderful. I played in Germany, the Netherlands and Spain and now I get to play in the UK, it doesn't get any better than that."
