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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
| Current team | Ajax | ||
| Number | 9 | ||
| ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20:23, 17 June 2008 (UTC) | |||
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (born August 12, 1983) is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Ajax and the Netherlands. He previously represented PSV Eindhoven, De Graafschap, AGOVV Apeldoorn, and SC Heerenveen.
Various media outlets have noted him as a rising star in Dutch football, being named Dutch Football Talent of the Year and Ajax "Player of the year" in 2006. Due to his goal-scoring ability he has earned the nickname "The Hunter", a play on his last name. He was a part of the Dutch side that won the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, where he became the tournament's leading goal-scorer. He was also named in the UEFA Team of the Tournament. He is the all-time highest goal-scorer for the Netherlands U21 squad with 18 goals in 22 matches. In domestic football he was Eredivisie's top scorer in the 2005–06 season with 33 goals in 31 games. He also became the top scorer in the 2007–08 season with 33 goals in 34 appearances.
Profile
Huntelaar was born in Drempt, a village in the Achterhoek region of Netherlands, but moved to Hummelo when he was six weeks old. He lived with parents Dirk-Jan and Maud Huntelaar, and his two brothers Niek and Jelle. Like his two brothers, at the age of five Huntelaar joined the local football team v.v. H. en K. (football club Hummelo and Keppel) where he played for the next six years.
Huntelaar was scouted as a youth talent by Go Ahead Eagles, however, the distance required to travel prohibited him from joining the team from Deventer. Soon after he was scouted by De Graafschap where on April 6, 1994 he signed his first youth contract, aged eleven. During his first two years with De Graafschap, Huntelaar played as a left back, left winger, attacking midfielder, and even as a goalkeeper; only in his third year was he deployed as a striker. In the 1997–98 season, the now 14 year old Huntelaar was the first striker for the C-team at De Graafschap, and scored 33 goals in 20 matches. The following season saw him promoted to the B1 team, and in the 1999–00 season he became top scorer of the B1 league with 31 goals. His goal-scoring abilities drew the attention of PSV Eindhoven, who signed him in June 2000.
Huntelaar is a striker who plays as a centre forward, or an "out-and-out" striker, rather than as a supporting striker. He has a good technical ability and can score goals with his head and with either foot. In an October 2007 interview Huntelaar stressed the importance of fitness to his game: "You have to work on every area but I would say that physical fitness is absolutely essential, especially in big games. I need to stay sharp and keep my speed up over 90 minutes, from the kick-off right through to the final whistle. That's fundamental." He has been compared in playing style to Marco van Basten and Fernando Morientes. Real Madrid C.F. manager Bernd Schuster has said of the player "It seems like they have cloned him from Marco van Basten. His way of moving, shooting with both feet and heading power all remind me of Van Basten."
Huntelaar has received praise from defenders that have had the task of marking him. Dutch international central defender Barry Opdam has said "He can easily move in between defense and our midfield, leaving most of us confused. He is smart. He can predict what his team mates do and what we will do in response. He also uses his body smartly. At the right time, before the cross or pass comes in, he’ll nudge you. That gives him those extra seconds or that extra half a yard. He has grown enormously, in particular physically." PSV Eindhoven’s Dirk Marcellis has said "You can only stop Huntelaar if you stop the whole team from playing football. He is a smart chap, using his body in a good way. He may not look it, but he is very strong. Never mean, though. Just smart. Little nudges, a quick pull on the jersey, those kind of things. He sometimes looks distracted, but that’s just his thing. He uses that to lull you to sleep." Swiss defender Stephan Keller states: "How to stop Huntelaar? Pfff…no idea. The thing is, everything he does, every move is thought about. He sees the game so well and he has the ability to sense when you’re just not paying attention and then he’s gone. He is the best I’ve ever seen. He will definitely make it big in Europe somewhere."
On July 2, 2007, Huntelaar signed a sponsorship deal with Nike, having previously been under contract with Adidas. His agent is Arnold Oosterveer, and not Vincenzo Morabito as has often been incorrectly been reported in the media.
Career
PSV
In his first season at PSV, Huntelaar quickly established himself as a prolific goalscorer for their A1 youth team under coach Willy van der Kuijlen (the all-time top scorer in the Eredivisie with 311 goals), scoring 26 goals in 23 games to become top scorer in the youth league. In his second season at PSV, Huntelaar was added to Guus Hiddink's senior team, but failed to secure a place in the starting line-up. He made his first team debut as a substitute for Mateja Kežman on November 23, 2002 in a 0–3 away win over RBC Roosendaal. This turned out to be his only Eredivisie appearance for the club.
De Graafschap
Having failed to establish himself in the PSV first team, Huntelaar was sent on loan to his old club De Graafschap. He made his senior debut for De Graafschap on February 8, 2003, coming on as a substitute for Hans van de Haar against RBC Roosendaal. He made his first appearance in the starting lineup on February 16, 2003 as De Graafschap were beaten 1–5 by his future employer SC Heerenveen. He made his final appearance in the squad on May 29, 2003 as De Graafschap lost 2–1 to FC Zwolle, confirming their demotion from the Eredivisie. In total, Huntelaar made nine Eredivisie appearances for the Super Farmers but failed to score, and De Graafschap decided not to extend his contract. Klaas-Jan's uncle, Cor Huntelaar, was financial director of De Graafschap at the time of his death and was remembered by the club during a tribute match against Heracles Almelo on March 15, 2008.
AGOVV
At the start of the 2003–04 season Huntelaar was again sent on loan, this time to newly-promoted Eerste Divisie side AGOVV Apeldoorn under coach Jurrie Koolhof. He was an instant success, scoring on his debut for AGOVV against TOP Oss. In his second league game for AGOVV, Huntelaar scored a hat-trick against Heracles Almelo. Huntelaar went on to score 26 times in his 35 league appearances and finished the season as the division's top goalscorer, and was named "Player of the Year" for the Eerste Divisie (First Division). In 2007, AGOVV named one of the stands at Sportpark Berg & Bos the "Klaas-Jan Huntelaar stand". Sunderland had a £2million bid rejected in the summer.
SC Heerenveen
After Huntelaar turned down the opportunity to sign a new contract with PSV, Frysian club SC Heerenveen moved in to sign him for a transfer fee of €100,000. The player has since explained his decision not to renew his contract with PSV, saying "I was there for two years and when I turned 18 I was loaned out to De Graafschap, where I'd played between the ages of 10 and 16, and then to AgoVV. When I went back to PSV the second time, I wasn't playing and the club didn't offer me anything specific. I just wanted to play and work on my game." Heerenveen chairman Riemer van der Velde described what the club expected from the player: "He is a young, scoring striker who has undergone a good development last season. He will have to prove himself on a higher level, but I expect that he can benefit us greatly. If Huntelaar can score fifteen goals like Sibon did last season, we can't complain". Huntelaar started the 2004–05 season well by scoring on his Eredivisie debut with Heerenveen against AZ. Huntelaar also scored in his second game for Heerenveen, against Roda JC, and less than a month later scored a brace to lead Heerenveen to a 3–0 victory against NAC Breda. In October, Huntelaar scored two more braces, one against FC Utrecht, and one against FC Den Bosch. Huntelaar scored more goals against RBC Roosendaal and Willem II Tilburg to take his scoring tally to 10 goals in 17 games at the winter break. The striker continued to do well after the winter break, scoring in the first two games of 2005 against FC Den Bosch and NAC Breda. However, he could not continue his good start to the new year and hit a scoring drought; Huntelaar did not score in his next eight league games. It was only in late April that he continued his scoring form with a hat-trick against RBC. Huntelaar finished the season in style, scoring in the two penultimate games, against FC Groningen and NEC. At the end of the season, Huntelaar had scored a total of 17 goals in 31 matches, and was a decisive factor in helping Heerenveen qualify for the UEFA Cup.
Huntelaar was once again on target in the first league game of the 2005–06 season, against Vitesse. Klaas-Jan scored again in his second and fourth game of the season, against Roda JC and Heracles, respectively. In October, Huntelaar scored a hat-trick in an away match against NAC Breda, Heerenveen winning 0–3. November saw the striker score a brace against FC Groningen and the winning goal against Sparta Rotterdam. December, his final month for Heerenveen, would prove to be productive for Huntelaar as the player scored seven goals in four games, including braces against Willem II, FC Twente, and RKC Waalwijk. Huntelaar's final game for the Frisian club was against AFC Ajax, his future employer. Huntelaar was again on target as Heerenveen beat Ajax 4–2. By the winter break, he had scored 17 goals in 15 matches, which earned him a mid-season transfer to AFC Ajax. Heerenveen received €9 million plus future incentives for the player. A substantial sum went to rivals PSV Eindhoven as a result of a training compensation rule imposed by FIFA.
Ajax
2005/06
After transferring from Heerenveen during the winter break, Huntelaar struggled in his first month with Ajax. It was only in February, in his fifth match for Ajax, that he scored his first goal, in a Gatorade Cup tie against his old club Heerenveen. Once he had broken his scoring drought, Huntelaar started scoring regularly. During the month of February, Huntelaar scored nine goals in seven matches for Ajax, including a header against Inter Milan on his Champions League debut. Huntelaar continued his goal-scoring for the rest of the season, and ended as the Dutch league's top scorer, having scored sixteen goals in as many appearances for Ajax, bringing his total for the season to 33 goals in 31 matches. As Ajax finished second in the Dutch league, they needed to win the European play-offs to secure a place in the third round of the Champions League. In the semis, Ajax faced their rivals Feyenoord, who had finished fourth in the league. In the first leg at the Amsterdam Arena, Ajax crushed Feyenoord 3–0, with Huntelaar scoring the final goal for Ajax. In the second leg, Ajax further humbled Feyenoord by beating them 2–4 in De Kuip. Huntelaar was once again on target, scoring the second goal for Ajax. Huntelaar featured in the defeat of FC Groningen in the final two games of the play-offs to secure Ajax Champions League football for next season, although he did not score. Huntelaar scored a bicycle kick during injury time in the KNVB Cup semi-final against Roda JC, which levelled the score at 1–1. Ajax went on to win the game 4–1 after extra time, with Huntelaar scoring another goal in the 109th minute to take them to the final of the Dutch cup, where Ajax faced Huntelaar's old club PSV. In the final Huntelaar scored a brace, including the winning goal, to bring Ajax its 16th KNVB Cup. The season had been Huntelaar's most successful to date, and he was awarded the Eredivisie Johan Cruijff Award award (for talent of the year), and was named Ajax player of the year.
2006/07
When Jaap Stam was named Ajax captain in July 2006, Huntelaar was named as vice-captain. Huntelaar was the first player to score a goal at Arsenal F.C.'s new Emirates Stadium in a testimonial match for Dennis Bergkamp on July 22, 2006 - a match Ajax ended up losing 2–1 (although in the second half, which started off with Ajax leading 1–0, 'legends' like Johan Cruijff, Marco van Basten and Ian Wright played instead). Huntelaar started the 2006–07 European campaign well by scoring a brace away against Copenhagen in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League 3rd qualifying round in a 1-2 win. However, a shock 2–0 defeat home against Copenhagen meant that Ajax were demoted to the UEFA Cup, in which Huntelaar scored eight goals in seven matches. In the 2006–07 Dutch league, Huntelaar continued scoring, getting 21 goals in the league as Ajax once again finished second. In the KNVB Cup, Huntelaar scored four goals in six matches, including a goal in the cup final victory against AZ. Finishing second in the league meant that Ajax once again had to play in the European play-offs to secure Champions League football for the next season. Huntelaar scored two goals in the second leg of the semi-final against his old club Heerenveen as Ajax won 4–1 on aggregate. In the final, Louis van Gaal's AZ awaited Ajax. Huntelaar featured in both legs as Ajax won 4–2 on aggregate to secure a place in the third qualifying round of the Champions League.
2007/08
The 2007–08 season started with mixed performances. Huntelaar featured in Ajax's third consecutive victory in the Johan Cruijff-schaal in a 1–0 win over PSV Eindhoven. Next followed the third round Champions League qualifier match against SK Slavia Praha. Huntelaar missed a penalty as Ajax lost 0–1 in the first leg in the Amsterdam Arena, and a repeat of the shock exit in the 2006 Champions League took place after Ajax also lost the second leg 2–1 in Prague. Ajax were also eliminated from the UEFA Cup by NK Dinamo Zagreb on away goals. Huntelaar scored two goals in the return match but it was not enough to secure Ajax's place in the competition. In the first Eredivisie match of the season Huntelaar scored four goals to help them past newly promoted De Graafschap in an 1–8 away victory. He continued his goal scoring form against FC Groningen and scored a bicycle kick against Heracles Almelo. Huntelaar was again on target in the following three games, with a free kick just outside the box against Louis van Gaal's AZ as Ajax beat their North Holland rivals 2–3, against VVV-Venlo, and against Sparta Rotterdam. On October 28, 2007, Huntelaar scored the only goal against FC Utrecht to clinch an away victory. With the retirement of Jaap Stam in October 2007, Huntelaar was temporarily made the Ajax captain, pending Edgar Davids' return from injury. Huntelaar played his first Dutch Cup game of the season against his old side Heerenveen on October 31, 2007, scoring the third goal as Ajax beat the Frisians 3–1 to advance to the next round. On November 4, 2007, the striker scored a goal and missed a penalty against Roda JC, bringing his total for the season to eleven goals in ten league appearances. By the end of the season, Huntelaar had scored 33 goals in 34 apps, making him the top scorer of the eredivisie, eleven in front of Twente's Blaise Kufo.
Netherlands national team
Youth squads
Huntelaar participated in the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship for the Netherlands under coach Louis van Gaal. The striker scored two goals in the tournament before the Dutch were eliminated in the quarter finals by Egypt.
Huntelaar was part of the preliminary Dutch squad prior to the 2006 FIFA World Cup, but was not chosen in the squad for the tournament itself. Coach Marco van Basten explained that he felt Huntelaar would benefit from more experience and from playing at the UEFA Under 21 football championships in Portugal with Foppe de Haan's Netherlands U21 squad, going as far as to say that it was up to the player to "show us there that by not selecting Huntelaar we did not do the right thing".
While the senior Dutch squad went on to score just three goals in four games at the World Cup in Germany, the youth side did a lot better in the U21 championship. Huntelaar was the top-scorer of the Under 21 tournament with four goals as the young Dutch were victorious in the tournament. He scored a powerful strike in the semi-final against France and a brace in the final against Ukraine. Huntelaar was named as one of the strikers in the UEFA Team of the Tournament. After the tournament, Huntelaar retired from the under-21 squad, where he remains the all-time highest goal-scorer with 18 goals in 22 matches.
Senior squad
Huntelaar's status as a rising star was confirmed when Marco van Basten decided to select the striker as his starting striker in the Dutch National squad's friendly against the Republic of Ireland on August 16, 2006. Huntelaar paid immediate dividends in his debut for the senior squad by scoring two goals, and making two assists, in Holland's 4–0 victory. Huntelaar was the first player to score on his debut for the Dutch national squad since Dick Nanninga did so in 1978. However in his next seven caps he did not manage to add another goal, and due to the return of Ruud van Nistelrooy to the team and the presence of other strikers like Robin van Persie, Dirk Kuyt, and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, his chances in the team have been limited.
After being left out of the squad for a number of games, he was recalled to the squad in October 2007 for the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying games against Romania and Slovenia. Due to the suspension of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Huntelaar was in the starting line-up against Slovenia, scoring his first competitive international goal in a 2–0 win. He scored his fifth and sixth goal for the national team on March 26, 2008 in a friendly match against Austria. He scored his seventh goal in twelve national caps on May 24, 2008 against Ukraine. Huntelaar was included in Netherlands' Euro 2008 squad, scoring his first goal in a tournament with the opening goal of their final Group C game against Romania putting them on the way to a 2–0 win.
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | Domestic League | Domestic Cups | European games | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | Ratio | |||
| PSV Eindhoven | 2002–03 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| De Graafschap | 2002–03 | 9 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 9 | 0 | 0 | |
| AGOVV Apeldoorn | 2003–04 | 35 | 26 | - | - | - | - | 35 | 26 | 0.74 | |
| SC Heerenveen | 2004–05 | 31 | 17 | - | - | 7 | 3 | 38 | 20 | 0.53 | |
| 2005–06 | 15 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 22 | 21 | 0.95 | ||
| Total | 46 | 34 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 6 | 60 | 41 | 0.68 | ||
| AFC Ajax | 2005–06 | 16 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 25 | 24 | 0.96 | |
| 2006–07 | 32 | 21 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 51 | 36 | 0.71 | ||
| 2007–08 | 34 | 33 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 39 | 36 | 0.92 | ||
| Total | 82 | 70 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 115 | 96 | 0.85 | ||
| Career Totals | 173 | 130 | 19 | 15 | 28 | 18 | 220 | 163 | 0.74 | ||
| Updated 8 May 2008 (UTC) | |||||||||||
International goals
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 16, 2006 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland |  Republic of Ireland |
0–1 | 0–4 | Friendly match | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | August 16, 2006 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland | Republic of Ireland |
0–3 | 0–4 | Friendly match | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | October 17, 2007 | Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands |  Slovenia |
2–0 | 2–0 | Euro 2008 Qualification | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | February 6, 2008 | Poljud Stadium, Split, Croatia |  Croatia |
0–2 | 0–3 | Friendly match | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | March 26, 2008 | Ernst Happel Stadion, Vienna, Austria |  Austria |
3–1 | 3–4 | Friendly match | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | March 26, 2008 | Ernst Happel Stadion, Vienna, Austria | Austria |
3–4 | 3–4 | Friendly match | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | May 24, 2008 | De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands |  Ukraine |
2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly match | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | June 17, 2008 | Stade de Suisse, Bern, Switzerland |  Romania |
1–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2008
HonoursClub
National Team
Individual
References
External linksTemplate:S-awards
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- 1983 births
- Living people
- Dutch footballers
- Eredivisie players
- Eerste Divisie players
- PSV Eindhoven players
- De Graafschap players
- AGOVV Apeldoorn players
- SC Heerenveen players
- AFC Ajax players
- Netherlands international footballers
- Netherlands under-21 international footballers
- People from Gelderland
- UEFA Euro 2008 players