Klaas-Jan Huntelaar

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is one of the best strikers in the history of Dutch football. A truly high-quality finisher, he was a notable striker in the 2000s and 2010s.

738

Games

408

Goals

101

Assists

Trophies

2002/04 PSV Eindhoven (NET) 1 match

2003 De Graafschap (NET) 9 matches

2003/04 AGOVV Apeldoorn (NET) 35 matches, 26 goals

2004/06 SC Heerenveen (NET) 61 matches, 39 goals

(Eredivisie: 46 matches, 33 goals)

(Dutch Cup: 2 matches, 1 goal)

(Europa League: 13 matches, 5 goals)

2006/09 Ajax Amsterdam (NET) 136 matches, 105 goals

(Eredivisie: 104 matches, 80 goals)

(Dutch Cup: 12 matches, 11 goals)

(Dutch Super Cup: 1 match)

(Champions League: 6 matches, 3 goals)

(Europa League: 13 matches, 11 goals)

2009 Real Madrid (SPA) 20 matches, 8 goals

(La Liga: 20 matches, 8 goals)

2009/10 AC Milan (ITA) 30 matches, 7 goals

(Serie A: 25 matches, 7 goals)

(Italian Cup: 2 matches)

(Champions League: 3 matches)

2010/17 Schalke 04 (GER) 249 matches, 128 goals

(Bundesliga: 175 matches, 82 goals)

(German Cup: 15 matches, 13 goals)

(German Supercup: 1 match)

(Champions League: 25 matches, 13 goals)

(Europa League: 24 matches, 18 goals)

2017/21 Ajax Amsterdam (NET) 121 matches, 53 goals

(Eredivisie: 85 matches, 45 goals)

(Dutch Cup: 9 matches, 3 goals)

(Champions League: 23 matches, 5 goals)

(Europa League: 4 matches)

2021 Schalke 04 (GER) 9 matches, 2 goals

(Bundesliga: 9 matches, 2 goals)

With the National Team :

76 caps, 42 goals

(Friendly matches: 35 caps, 16 goals)

(Euro Qualifiers: 20 caps, 18 goals)

(World Cup Qualifiers: 10 caps, 5 goals)

(World Cup: 7 caps, 2 goals)

(Euro: 4 caps, 1 goal)

First cap: August 16, 2006 against Ireland (4-0)

Last cap: October 13, 2015 against the Czech Republic (2-3)

U21: 24 caps, 18 goals

U20: 9 caps, 2 goals

U19: 20 caps, 8 goals

U18: 1 cap

U17: 6 caps, 3 goals

Dirk Jan Klaas Huntelaar

Born August 12, 1983 in Voor-Drempt (NET)

Dutch striker, 186cm

Raw talent

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was born on August 12, 1983, in Drempt, Netherlands. He started playing football at the local club VV Hummelo at the age of 5. At 11, he joined the De Graafschap youth academy. During his youth years, he played in several positions, including left winger, left fullback, and even goalkeeper.

But in his later years with the club, he played as a striker and scored 33 goals in 20 youth matches with the C team. He was then promoted to the B team, scoring 31 goals. He was then recruited in 2000 by PSV Eindhoven who saw great potential in him.

His time at PSV Eindhoven's youth system was a resounding success. In his first season with PSV's youth system, he scored 26 goals in 23 matches. In November 2002, he finally made it to the club's first team at the age of 19.

Unable to find a place in the PSV Eindhoven first team, he went on loan to De Graafschap in 2003, where he failed to establish himself. It was finally at AGOVV Apeldoorn that he revealed himself to the Dutch public in the country's second division. He scored a total of 26 goals in 35 matches and finished the season as the second division's best player and top scorer.

One of the most decisive strikers of his generation

Refusing to extend his contract with PSV, which was then one of the best clubs in the world, he decided to join SC Heerenveen, where he would confirm his potential. He finished his first season with 17 goals in 31 league matches, ranking fifth in the Eredivisie. With his consistency, he helped his team finish the season in fifth place in the league. In the Europa League, he scored three goals in seven matches.

But it was the 2005/06 season that would propel Huntelaar onto a short list of the most decisive strikers of his era. During that season, he played part of the season with Heerenveen, where he confirmed his level, before signing for Ajax during the winter transfer window. He had a completely incredible season: 47 matches, 44 goals, and three assists in all competitions. At 23, he is one of the greatest talents of his generation.

He confirmed his status the following season, albeit with a lower goal-to-game ratio, but still boasting fantastic statistics. He scored 36 goals and provided 9 assists in 51 matches, including 7 goals in 7 Europa League games. During the 2007/08 season, he scored 36 goals and provided 10 assists in 45 matches.

Failure in top European clubs

Regarded as one of the most decisive strikers in Europe, he played the 2008/09 season at Ajax and then at Real Madrid after a transfer worth over €20 million. He arrived as a temporary replacement for Ruud Van Nistelrooy and scored 8 goals in 20 matches.

At the end of the season, the Dutch player left Real Madrid to join another legendary club on the European continent, AC Milan. He signed with the Italian club for a total fee of around €15 million. He only stayed one season at the club, failing to establish himself at a club of this stature.

One of the most underrated seasons in history

He then joined another top club at the time, Schalke 04, which was one of the best German teams upon his arrival. In his first season in Germany, he won his first and last two trophies with the German club, the German Cup and the German Super Cup. With 13 goals scored in 35 matches, his debut was slow but promising.

But the player was no longer considered a great footballing prospect and seemed to have reached his glass ceiling. Ultimately, his last truly great season as an individual came during his second season in Germany, a fantastic and legendary season: 48 matches, 48 goals, and 14 assists. He notably scored 10 goals and provided two assists in the Europa League in 10 matches!

A more than honorable career

The rest of his career was marked by seasons of around 15 goals until his retirement in the 2020/21 season. He then brought his club goal total to 366 goals in 662 matches, phenomenal statistics in that era of football.

His international career with the Netherlands first team began in 2006. In 2006, he won the European Under-21 Championship. Competing with Robin van Persie and Ruud van Nistelrooy, he still earned plenty of playing time. He played at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, where the Netherlands finished runners-up and third, the best performances in the country's history. In total, he will have participated in 76 matches for 42 goals and 12 assists, exceptional statistics, which still place him as the 3rd best scorer in the history of his national team.