Klaas-Jan Huntelaar facts for kids

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Klaas-Jan Huntelaar

Huntelaar in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Dirk Jan Klaas Huntelaar
Date of birth	(1983-08-12) 12 August 1983 (age 41)
Place of birth	Drempt, Netherlands
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
1988–1994	VV H. en K.
1994–2000	De Graafschap
2000–2002	PSV Eindhoven
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2002–2004	PSV Eindhoven	1	(0)
2003	→ De Graafschap (loan)	9	(0)
2003–2004	→ AGOVV (loan)	35	(26)
2004–2006	Heerenveen	46	(33)
2006–2009	Ajax	92	(76)
2009	Real Madrid	20	(8)
2009–2010	Milan	25	(7)
2010–2017	Schalke 04	175	(82)
2017–2021	Ajax	85	(45)
2021	Schalke 04	9	(2)
Total		497	(279)
International career
2002–2006	Netherlands U21	23	(18)
2006–2015	Netherlands	76	(42)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Netherlands FIFA World Cup Runner-up 2010 South Africa Third 2014 Brazil UEFA European Under-21 Championship Winner 2006 Portugal UEFA European Under-17 Championship Bronze 2000 Israel
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (born August 12, 1983) is a famous Dutch former professional footballer. He was known for being a fantastic striker, someone who scores lots of goals.

Huntelaar played for many top clubs like PSV, Ajax, Real Madrid, and Schalke 04. He was the top goalscorer in the German league (Bundesliga) in the 2011–12 season. He is also one of the highest goalscorers ever for Schalke.

He was named the "Dutch Football Talent of the Year" in 2006. He also helped the Netherlands U-21 team win the 2006 UEFA U-21 Championship. He scored the most goals in that tournament and was named the best player. He holds the record for most goals for the Netherlands U-21 team, with 18 goals in 23 games.

Early Life and Youth Career

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was born in a small village called Voor-Drempt in the Netherlands. When he was very young, his family moved to Hummelo. At age five, he started playing football with his two brothers for a local team called VV H. en K. He played there for six years.

During this time, scouts noticed his talent. He was invited to join Go Ahead Eagles, but it was too far to travel. Soon after, De Graafschap scouted him. On April 6, 1994, at just 10 years old, he signed his first youth contract with them.

For his first two years at De Graafschap, Huntelaar played in many different positions. He was a left wing, an attacking midfielder, a left back, and even a goalkeeper! It wasn't until his third year that he became a striker.

In the 1997–98 season, when he was 14, Huntelaar was the main striker for De Graafschap's C-team. He scored an amazing 33 goals in just 20 matches. The next season, he moved up to the B1 team and was the top scorer in that league with 31 goals. His incredible goal-scoring skills caught the eye of PSV Eindhoven, who signed him in June 2000.

Club Football Journey

Starting at PSV

When Huntelaar joined PSV, he quickly showed he was a great scorer for their youth teams. He scored 26 goals in 23 games. In his second season, he joined the main PSV team. He played his first senior game on November 23, 2002. However, this was his only game for PSV's first team.

Loan Spells: De Graafschap and AGOVV

In 2003, Huntelaar went on loan to his old club, De Graafschap. He played nine games but didn't score any goals. De Graafschap was then moved down to a lower league.

Later in 2003, he went on loan again, this time to Eerste Divisie team AGOVV. He started strong, scoring in his first game and then a hat-trick in his second! He ended the season as the top scorer in the league with 26 goals in 35 games. He was also named the "Player of the Season" for the Eerste Divisie. AGOVV even named a stand at their stadium after him to honor his impact.

Success at Heerenveen

After his loan, Huntelaar decided not to sign a new contract with PSV. Instead, he joined Heerenveen. He scored in his first game for Heerenveen in the Eredivisie. By the winter break, he had scored 10 goals in 17 games. He finished the 2004–05 season with 17 goals in 31 matches. This helped Heerenveen qualify for a European competition called the UEFA Cup.

In the 2005–06 season, he continued his great form, scoring 17 goals in 15 matches by winter. This made many big Dutch clubs want to sign him.

Becoming an Ajax Star

In January 2006, Huntelaar joined Ajax, the club he had loved since he was a child. Heerenveen received €9 million for him. Huntelaar scored his first goal for Ajax on February 5, 2006, against his former club Heerenveen. In February, he scored nine goals in seven games for Ajax. This included a goal in his first UEFA Champions League game against Serie A club Inter Milan.

He finished the season as Ajax's top scorer with 16 league goals in 16 games, even though he only joined in January. He was also the top scorer in the Eredivisie with 33 goals. In total, he scored 44 goals in 47 games that season. Ajax won the KNVB Cup that year, with Huntelaar scoring two goals in the final. He was named the "Dutch Football Talent of the Year" and Ajax's "Player of the Year" for 2005–06.

Huntelaar celebrating Ajax's victory in the KNVB Cup

For the 2006–07 season, Huntelaar became the vice-captain of Ajax. He scored 36 goals in 51 games in all competitions. Ajax won the KNVB Cup again, and Huntelaar scored in the penalty shootout to help them win.

In the 2007–08 season, Huntelaar played alongside Luis Suárez. He scored four goals in the first league match of the season. After Jaap Stam retired, Huntelaar became the temporary captain. On April 6, 2008, he scored his 100th Eredivisie goal with a hat-trick. He finished the season with 33 goals in 34 games, becoming the Eredivisie's top scorer. He was the first Ajax player in 21 years to score 30 league goals in a season. For the 2008–09 season, he was named the permanent captain. He scored nine goals in 15 games before getting an ankle injury in November 2008. This was his last game for Ajax for a while.

Moving to Real Madrid

Huntelaar playing for Real Madrid

In December 2008, Real Madrid agreed to sign Huntelaar. He joined the Spanish club in January 2009 for about €20 million. He made his debut on January 4, 2009. He scored his first goal for Real Madrid on February 15 in a 4–0 win. He scored eight goals in 20 games during his half-season at Real Madrid.

Time at A.C. Milan

On August 6, 2009, Huntelaar moved to the Italian club AC Milan for €17.75 million. He signed a four-year contract. He made his league debut on August 29. After a slow start, he scored his first goals for Milan on November 29, scoring twice in a 2–0 win. He ended up scoring seven goals for Milan that season.

Years at Schalke 04

Huntelaar with Schalke

On August 31, 2010, German club Schalke 04 signed Huntelaar for €12 million. He scored his first goal for Schalke on September 19. On May 21, 2011, he scored two goals in the 2011 DFB-Pokal Final, helping Schalke win the German Cup 5–0. This was the club's first major trophy in nine years. He scored 13 goals in 35 games in his first season.

In the 2011–12 season, Huntelaar had an amazing year. He scored four goals in a cup game and a hat-trick in a league game. He also scored four goals in a UEFA Europa League qualifying match. He finished the season with 38 goals in 37 games. He scored two goals on the last day of the season, which made him the top goalscorer in the Bundesliga with 29 goals. He was the first Dutch player to achieve this.

On December 23, 2012, Huntelaar signed a new contract with Schalke until June 2015. He continued to score important goals for the club. On March 10, 2015, he scored twice against his former club Real Madrid in a Champions League match. He finished the 2014–15 season with 14 goals in 37 games. He continued to play for Schalke until 2017, scoring 16 goals in 40 games in the 2015–16 season.

Return to Ajax and Retirement

Huntelaar with Ajax in 2017

On June 1, 2017, Ajax announced that Huntelaar had returned to the club. In 2019, he helped Ajax win the Eredivisie, the KNVB Cup, and the Johan Cruyff Shield. He also played in the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League, where Ajax reached the semi-finals.

On December 12, 2020, Huntelaar announced that he would retire from football at the end of the 2020–21 season. On January 14, 2021, he scored two goals for Ajax just three minutes after coming on as a substitute.

Second Return to Schalke 04

On January 19, 2021, Schalke 04 confirmed that they had signed Huntelaar again until the end of the season. On April 3, 2021, he scored a goal against Bayer Leverkusen, becoming Schalke's oldest Bundesliga goalscorer at 37 years and 234 days old.

International Career for the Netherlands

Youth Team Success

Huntelaar played for the Netherlands U-21 team. He scored two goals in the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship. After scoring many goals for Heerenveen and Ajax, he was chosen for the Netherlands squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. However, he was sent to play in the UEFA Under-21 Championship instead.

Huntelaar was the Golden Player and Golden Boot at the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Championship

In that tournament, Huntelaar was the top scorer with four goals. He scored two goals in the final on June 4, 2006, helping the Netherlands beat Ukraine 3–0 to win their first U-21 title. He was named one of the best strikers in the "UEFA Team of the Tournament." He is still the Netherlands U-21 team's all-time top goalscorer with 18 goals in 22 matches.

Playing for the Senior Team

After his success with the U-21 team, Huntelaar was chosen for the senior Netherlands national team. He made his debut on August 16, 2006, against the Republic of Ireland. He scored two goals and helped with two others in a 4–0 win. He was the first Dutch player in 28 years to score on his first international game.

Under manager Bert van Marwijk, Huntelaar played as a striker for the Netherlands in Euro 2012.

He was part of the Netherlands squad for Euro 2008. He scored in his only game in the tournament, helping the Netherlands win 2–0 against Romania.

Huntelaar became the first-choice striker for the 2010 World Cup qualification games. He was included in the squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. On June 24, he came on as a substitute against Cameroon and scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory. The Netherlands reached the final of the 2010 World Cup but lost to Spain.

Huntelaar (left) and Robin van Persie (right) were key strikers for the Netherlands.

On September 3, 2010, Huntelaar scored three goals (a hat-trick) against San Marino in a Euro 2012 qualifying match. He scored both goals in a 2–1 win against Finland a few days later. He was the top goalscorer in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying competition with 12 goals.

At the 2014 World Cup, Huntelaar came off the bench in the game against Mexico. The Netherlands were losing 0–1. He helped set up a goal for Wesley Sneijder and then scored the winning goal from a penalty in injury time. This sent the team to the quarter-finals.

Playing Style

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was known as a "prolific striker." This means he was very good at scoring goals. People said he had a "brilliant first touch" when controlling the ball. His style of play was compared to other famous strikers like Marco van Basten and Ruud van Nistelrooy. In 2009, former Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal said that Huntelaar was "the best player in the world" inside the penalty area.

After His Playing Career

After retiring from playing, Huntelaar returned to Ajax in a technical role. He helps manage the club's football operations. This includes helping young players move up to the first team and managing contracts for the reserve and youth teams. In June 2023, he extended his contract with Ajax until June 30, 2027.

In October 2023, it was reported that Huntelaar took a break from his role for health reasons. Ajax announced on March 14, 2025, that his contract was ended by agreement, as his health was the most important thing.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

Huntelaar (left) as the Netherlands' #9 with Dirk Kuyt.

Source:

Scores and results list the Netherlands' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Huntelaar goal.

List of international goals scored by Klaas-Jan Huntelaar

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	16 August 2006	Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland	Republic of Ireland	1–0	4–0	Friendly
2				3–0
3	17 October 2007	Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands	Slovenia	2–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
4	6 February 2008	Poljud Stadium, Split, Croatia	Croatia	2–0	3–0	Friendly
5	26 March 2008	Ernst Happel Stadion, Vienna, Austria	Austria	1–3	4–3	Friendly
6				4–3
7	24 May 2008	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	Ukraine	2–0	3–0	Friendly
8	17 June 2008	Stade de Suisse, Bern, Switzerland	Romania	1–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 2008
9	6 September 2008	Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands	Australia	1–0	1–2	Friendly
10	11 October 2008	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	Iceland	2–0	2–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
11	11 February 2009	Stade Olympique de Radès, Radès, Tunisia	Tunisia	1–0	1–1	Friendly
12	28 March 2009	Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	Scotland	1–0	3–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
13	1 April 2009	Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	Macedonia	2–0	4–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
14	5 September 2009	De Grolsch Veste, Enschede, Netherlands	Japan	3–0	3–0	Friendly
15	3 March 2010	Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	United States	2–0	2–1	Friendly
16	24 June 2010	Cape Town Stadium, South Africa	Cameroon	2–1	2–1	2010 FIFA World Cup
17	3 September 2010	Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle, San Marino	San Marino	2–0	5–0	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
18				3–0
19				4–0
20	7 September 2010	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	Finland	1–0	2–1	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
21				2–0
22	8 October 2010	Zimbru Stadium, Chişinău, Moldova	Moldova	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
23	12 October 2010	Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	Sweden	1–0	4–1	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
24				3–0
25	17 November 2010	Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	Turkey	1–0	1–0	Friendly
26	9 February 2011	Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands	Austria	2–0	3–1	Friendly
27	2 September 2011	Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands	San Marino	5–0	11–0	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
28				8–0
29	7 October 2011	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	Moldova	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
30	11 October 2011	Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden	Sweden	1–1	2–3	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
31	29 February 2012	Wembley Stadium, London, England	England	2–0	3–2	Friendly
32	15 August 2012	King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium	Belgium	2–1	2–4	Friendly
33	12 September 2012	Ferenc Puskás Stadium, Budapest, Hungary	Hungary	4–1	4–1	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
34	12 October 2012	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	Andorra	2–0	3–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
35	29 June 2014	Estádio Castelão, Fortaleza, Brazil	Mexico	2–1	2–1	2014 FIFA World Cup
36	10 October 2014	Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	Kazakhstan	1–1	3–1	UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
37	16 November 2014	Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	Latvia	3–0	6–0	UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
38				6–0
39	28 March 2015	Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	Turkey	1–1	1–1	UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
40	5 June 2015	Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	United States	1–0	3–4	Friendly
41				2–1
42	13 October 2015	Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	Czech Republic	1–3	2–3	UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying

Honors and Awards

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar won many awards and trophies during his football career:

Ajax

• Eredivisie: 2018–19, 2020–21
• KNVB Cup: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2018–19
• Johan Cruyff Shield: 2006, 2007, 2019

Schalke 04

• DFB-Pokal: 2010–11
• DFL-Supercup: 2011

Netherlands Youth Team

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2006

Netherlands National Team

• FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2010
• FIFA World Cup third place: 2014

Individual Awards

• Eerste Divisie top scorer: 2003–04
• Eerste Divisie Player of the Year: 2003–04
• Eredivisie top scorer: 2005–06, 2007–08
• Johan Cruyff Trophy: 2005–06
• Ajax Player of the Year: 2005–06
• UEFA European Under-21 Championship Golden Boot (most goals): 2006
• UEFA European Under-21 Championship Golden Player (best player): 2006
• Bundesliga top goalscorer: 2011–12
• kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2011–12
• UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying top goalscorer

See also

In Spanish: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar para niños