Netherlands defender Ron Vlaar has admitted that his performance in the World Cup semi-final against Argentina was the best he has ever produced.

Vlaar was praised for his display in 120 goalless minutes, but he believes the result was all that mattered after he stepped up to miss the first spot kick in the 4-2 penalty shootout defeat.

"Maybe I played the best game of my life," the 29-year-old told reporters. "I felt really confident, but there's only one thing that matters in sport and that's winning, and that didn't happen.

"We really believed from the start of the tournament that we could get something and I'm proud of what we got, but it's not enough and we wanted more.

"I believed in us from the start, we all believed in ourselves but it didn't happen. There's only one thing that counts and that's first place."

Reports have suggested that Vlaar will be given a new Aston Villa contract when he arrives home from the World Cup.