I didn't want to leave Real for a lesser club like Spurs, claims Van Nistelrooy

Not finished yet: Real Madrid's Ruud van NistelrooyReal Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy snubbed a move to Tottenham Hotspur because he thought it would be a huge step down.The former Manchester United frontman was a target of Spurs boss Harry Redknapp in the summer.But van Nistelrooy snubbed the offer because he wants to fight for his place at the Bernabeu despite Real spending £250million on star signing Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema, reports The Daily Mirror.Van Nistelrooy said: 'The easiest thing for me to have done would have been to leave for a lesser team.'But I'm not going to leave Madrid. I want to know what I'm capable of. There are still a lot of options when it comes to playing.The Dutchman, who has netted 45 goals in 67 appearances for the Spanish giants, has recovered from a serious knee injury and claims he can go on and play for another three years. He said: 'I know I can play at the highest level. Physically, I feel better than before the injury. Play on: Ex-Man United star Van Nistelrooy says he can still play at the top level'I only need to find my rhythm and that will come with matches. The doctor who operated on me said I could play for three more years.'And when I retire from football I won't have any problems. Before the injury I didn't feel good. I lost three years.' Hot shot Aaron Lennon insists high-flying Spurs are not getting carried away with perfect start Contract fears forced Portsmouth to sell £2m Niko Kranjcar to TottenhamJermain Defoe: I'm playing for my brother's memory SPURS FC

Source: Daily_Mail