Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
Dirk Jan Klaas “Klaas-Jan” Huntelaar (; born 12 August 1983) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a striker for Ajax. He is the all-time top scorer of the Netherlands U-21 national team with 18 goals in 23 appearances. He has also played for PSV, De Graafschap, AGOVV Apeldoorn, Heerenveen, Ajax, Real Madrid and Milan. He was the top goalscorer in the 2011–12 Bundesliga with 29 league goals for Schalke 04. He returned to Ajax on 1 June 2017 on a one-year contract.
About Klaas-Jan Huntelaar in brief
Dirk Jan Klaas “Klaas-Jan” Huntelaar (; born 12 August 1983) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a striker for Ajax. He is the all-time top scorer of the Netherlands U-21 national team with 18 goals in 23 appearances. He has also played for PSV, De Graafschap, AGOVV Apeldoorn, Heerenveen, Ajax, Real Madrid and Milan. He was the top goalscorer in the 2011–12 Bundesliga with 29 league goals for Schalke 04. He returned to Ajax on 1 June 2017 on a one-year contract. In 2009, former Netherlands national team manager Louis van Gaal was quoted saying about the player, ‘in the penalty area, he is the best player in the world, bar none.’ He was named Dutch Football Talent of the Year and Ajax player of the year in 2006. He moved to Hummelo when he was six weeks old with his parents, Maud and Dirk-Jan, and his two brothers Niek and Jelle. His uncle was financial director at PSV at the time of his first appearance for the club. He made his senior debut for De GraAFschap on 8 February 2003, coming on as a substitute for Hans van de Haal against Roosendaal. He then made his only appearance in the starting lineup on 16 February 2003. In total, he made nine Eredivisie appearances for the Super Farmers Farmers Farmers, but one as a starter and eight as substitute, but was unable to score.
In the 1997–98 season, he was the main striker for the C-team at De Gra AFschap and scored 33 goals in 20 matches. In his first season at PSv, he quickly established himself as a prolific goals scorer for their A1 youth teams under coach Willy van der Kuijlen, scoring 26 goals in23 games to become top scorer in the youth league. His goalscoring abilities drew the attention of Guus Hiddink, who subsequently signed him in June 2000. By the start of 2003, it was clear thatHuntelaar’s path into the first team was blocked, therefore he was sent out on loan to his previous club De Gra Safschap. At the end of the 2003–04 season, Huntelar was again loaned out, this time to newly promoted Esteer Divisie side AGOVVs Apeldeorn. He became a part of the DeGraaf Safschaap team that won the Dutch League Cup in May 2003. He also made his final appearance in 2–1 victory over FC Zollewolle on 29 May 2003, confirming their demotion from the league to the Super League. The following season saw him promoted to the B1 team, and in the 1999–2000 season he became top scorer with 31 goals. In August 2010, he signed for Real Madrid.
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