Former Tottenham star Rafael Van der Vaart has ripped into Leroy Sane for moving to Galatasaray this summer.
Sane, 29, has been one of the best wingers in European football over the past decade, shining for Man City and Bayern Munich after coming through the ranks at Schalke.
He joined Turkish champions Galatasaray at the start of July after rejecting a new contract with Bayern, ending his decorated five year stint with the German giants.
Sane’s move to Turkey has been criticised in some quarters and he was left out of Germany’s squad for this month’s international break.
Boss Julian Nagelsmann suggested his performances must be exceptional to be called up given he is playing in a supposed lower quality league.
And Van der Vaart, who is now a TV pundit, gave his verdict on the move when speaking to Dutch outlet RAN.
Rafael Van der Vaart has ripped into Leroy Sane for moving to Galatasaray this summer
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Van der Vaart, who is a Tottenham cult hero, claimed Sane has ‘thrown away his own career’
‘I think Sane’s development is simply a shame,’ he said. ‘He threw away his own career.’
Speaking about Sane’s exclusion from the national team squad, Nagelsmann had said: ‘He has to stand out more. I need a certain quota.’
In four games with his new club, Sane has scored once and provided one assist as Galatasaray target their fourth successive Turkish league title – and he has been criticised for his wastefulness.
Nevertheless, he recently expressed his desire to win his place back in the Germany squad and felt that Galatasaray fans will soon start to see the best of him.
‘After the international break, things are really getting started,’ Sane said. ‘I also like the two games a week the most, to really gain momentum and get into a good rhythm.
‘Only then will the season really start. Four games and four wins were already an extremely important step for us, even if, of course, not everything was 100 percent perfect.’
Sane scored 39 goals and added 44 assists in 135 games across a four-year spell at Man City
Despite Nagelsmann’s concerns as to where Sane is playing, the winger will soon get the chance to show his qualities on a wider stage when the Champions League gets underway.
Within the League Phase, the Turkish giants face games against the likes of Man City, Liverpool, Atletico Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt.
During his four years in Manchester, Sane scored 39 goals and added 44 assists in 135 games, with the German winning eight trophies, including two Premier League titles.
