Klaas Jan Huntelaar
Encyclopedia
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (ˈklaː ˈʃɑn ˈɦʏn.tə.ˌlaːr; born 12 August 1983 in Voor-Drempt
, Gelderland
), nicknamed The Hunter, is a Dutch
footballer who plays as a striker
for Schalke 04
and the Dutch national football team. Huntelaar is a prolific striker with brilliant technique and athleticism and has been compared in style to players such as Marco van Basten and Ruud van Nistelrooy
. Former Netherlands, Barcelona
and Bayern Munich
manager Louis van Gaal
has been quoted saying about the player "in the penalty area, he is the best player in the world, bar none."
Named Dutch Football Talent of the Year
and Ajax "Player of the Year" in 2006, Huntelaar was a part of the Dutch side that won the 2006 UEFA U-21 Championship
where he became the tournament's leading goalscorer. He was also named as one of two strikers in the UEFA Team of the Tournament. He is the all-time top scorer of the Netherlands U-21 national team
with 18 goals in 22 appearances. In domestic competition he finished top scorer in the Eredivisie
2005–06 and 2007–08
seasons. Huntelaar played previously for PSV, De Graafschap
, AGOVV Apeldoorn
, Heerenveen, Ajax, Real Madrid
, and Milan
, before joining Schalke in August 2010.
, 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. Huntelaar has been in a relationship with his girlfriend Maddy Schoolderman since 2000. On 9 April 2009, the couple had their first child, a boy called Seb, and on 20 July 2011, their second child Axel was born.
as a youth talent during this period by Go Ahead Eagles
but the distance required to travel to the team's base in Deventer
prevented him from joining the club.
Soon after, he was scouted by De Graafschap
and on 6 April 1994 he signed his first youth contract, aged 11. During his first two years with De Graafschap, Huntelaar played in various positions including left wing, attacking midfield, left back, and even goalkeeper; only in his third year was he deployed as a striker.
In the 1997–98 season, the 14-year-old Huntelaar was the main 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 1999–2000 season he became top scorer of the B1 league with 31 goals. His goalscoring abilities drew the attention of PSV, who subsequently signed him in June 2000.
In his first season at PSV, Huntelaar quickly established himself as a prolific goalscorer for their A1 youth teams under coach Willy van der Kuijlen, scoring 26 goals in 23 games to become top scorer in the youth league. In his second season at PSV, Huntelaar was added to the senior squad under coach Guus Hiddink
. He made his first team debut on 23 November 2002 in a 0–3 away win over RBC Roosendaal, coming on as a second half substitute
for Mateja Kežman
in the 76th minute. However, this turned out to be his only appearance for PSV.
where his uncle was financial director. He made his senior debut for De Graafschap on 8 February 2003, coming on as a substitute for Hans van de Haar
against Roosendaal. He made his only appearance in the starting lineup on 16 February 2003 as De Graafschap were beaten 1–5 by his future employers SC Heerenveen. He then made his final appearance in the team on 29 May 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, one as a starter and 8 as a substitute, but was unable to score and De Graafschap decided not to extend his loan.
side AGOVV Apeldoorn
under coach Jurrie Koolhof
. He made a good start, scoring on his debut for AGOVV against TOP Oss
, and then scoring a hat-trick in his second league game against Heracles Almelo
. Huntelaar scored 26 goals in 35 league appearances and finished the season as the division's top goalscorer as well as being named the Eerste Divisie's Player of the Season. AGOVV later went on to name one of the stands at their Sportpark Berg & Bos stadium the "Klaas-Jan Huntelaar stand" in tribute to his impact at the club.
club SC Heerenveen moved in to sign him. Huntelaar started the 2004–05 season by scoring on his Eredivisie debut with Heerenveen against AZ and took his scoring tally to 10 goals in 17 games at the winter break. At the end of the season Huntelaar had scored a total of 17 goals in 31 matches, helping Heerenveen qualify for the UEFA Cup
. In the 2005–06 season, Huntelaar continued where he had left off in his first season at Heerenveen, and by the winter, he had scored 17 goals in 15 matches at which point the top Dutch clubs began vying for his signature.
tie. During February, Huntelaar scored nine goals in seven matches for Ajax, including against Serie A
club Internazionale
on his UEFA Champions League
debut. Huntelaar ended the season as top scorer for Ajax with 16 league goals in 16 appearances despite only joining in January, and also finished up as the Eredivise's top scorer with 33 league goals. He scored a total of 44 goals in 47 appearances in all club competitions. Ajax finished second in the Eredivisie and Huntelaar featured in the Eredivisie Playoffs for Champions League qualification, scoring in consecutive matches against Feyenoord as well as playing in the victory over FC Groningen to secure Ajax's place in the following season's Champions League. In the KNVB Cup semi-final, Huntelaar scored a bicycle kick
equalizer in injury-time against Roda JC, taking the game to extra-time. Ajax went on to win 4–1 with Huntelaar scoring another goal in the 109th minute. In the final, against his former club PSV, Huntelaar scored two goals to help Ajax win the KNVB Cup 2–1. Huntelaar was named Dutch Football Talent of the Year and Ajax Player of the Year for 2005–06.
In July 2006 Huntelaar became the first player to score at Arsenal
's new Emirates Stadium
in a testimonial match
for Dennis Bergkamp
. He was named vice-captain of Ajax for 2006–07 in his first full season at the club. Huntelaar scored two goals for Ajax in a Champions League qualifying match against FC Copenhagen
to secure a 2–1 away win in the first leg, but a 2–0 home defeat in the second leg saw them knocked out of the Champions League on aggregate. Ajax went on to play in the UEFA Cup where Huntelaar scored seven goals in seven matches, including against Werder Bremen
who would eliminate them in the third round. In the Eredivisie, Huntelaar scored 21 goals as Ajax again finished second, once more having to play in the Eredivisie Playoffs to claim a place in the Champions League. Huntelaar scored two goals in the second leg of the Playoffs semi-final against Heerenveen in a 4–1 aggregate win. Ajax then beat AZ 4–2 on aggregate for a place in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. In the KNVB Cup, Huntelaar scored four goals in six matches, including an equalizer in the final against AZ which ended in a 1–1 draw after extra-time. Huntelaar scored in the penalty shoot-out
decider to help Ajax retain the KNVB Cup, winning 8–7 on penalties. Huntelaar scored 36 goals in 51 games in all competitions for Ajax in 2006–07.
In 2007–08, Huntelaar partnered up front with new striking-partner Luis Suárez
. However, Ajax were again knocked out of the Champions League at the qualifying stage, with Huntelaar missing a penalty in the first leg against Slavia Prague. Ajax were also eliminated from the UEFA Cup by Dinamo Zagreb on away goals, with Huntelaar's two goals not enough to secure Ajax's place in the competition. In the first Eredivisie match of the season, Huntelaar scored four goals in an 8–1 away victory over newly promoted De Graafschap
. Following the retirement of Jaap Stam
in October 2007, Huntelaar was made temporary captain, pending the return of experienced midfielder
Edgar Davids
from injury. On 6 April 2008, Huntelaar scored his 100th goal in the Eredivise with a hat-trick in Ajax's 4–1 win against De Graafschap. In the previous 25 years, only Dennis Bergkamp
and Dirk Kuyt
had managed that feat before their 25th birthday. Huntelaar finished the season with 33 goals in 34 appearances, becoming top scorer in the Eredivisie and the first Ajax player to score 30 league goals in a season for 21 years, since Marco van Basten in 1986–87.
At the start of the 2008–09
, Marco van Basten was appointed as Ajax coach and named Huntelaar as permanent first team captain. Huntelaar scored nine goals in 15 appearances in all competitions before suffering torn ankle ligaments on 9 November 2008 in a league match against Sparta Rotterdam
. He would not play again for fully eight weeks later and it turned out to be his last game for Ajax.
in January. Huntelaar joined Real Madrid in January 2009 for an initial fee thought to be worth €20 million, potentially rising to €27 million.
He made his debut on 4 January 2009 on his return from injury in a La Liga
home match against Villarreal
. He played for 56 minutes and made four further appearances as a substitute, before scoring his first goal for the team on 15 February 2009 in a 0–4 away win at Sporting Gijón
. Real Madrid had planned to add both Huntelaar and fellow new signing Lassana Diarra
to their 2008–09 Champions League squad, but both players had already featured in the same season's UEFA Cup
for previous clubs Ajax and respectively. UEFA rules would allow only one of the pair to be registered by 1 February 2009 and defensive midfielder Diarra was selected to play in the competition. Huntelaar went on to score eight goals in 20 appearances (13 starts and 7 sub appearances) in just half a season at Real Madrid.
club AC Milan
for a reported €15 million, signing a four-year contract. On 14 August 2009, Huntelaar made his debut for Milan during the TIM Trophy
friendly tournament. Huntelaar was unable to play any part in Milan's opening league game of the season due to a suspension he had incurred whilst playing for Real Madrid
. On 29 August, Huntelaar made his competitive league debut for Milan coming on as a sub in the 0–4 loss to cross-city rivals Internazionale
. After a slow start, Huntelaar scored his first and second goal for Milan in injury time on 29 November 2009 in a 2–0 win against Catania
after coming on in the 84th minute.
After the match Leonardo
stated that he would give Huntelaar more chances. However, Huntelaar only appeared as a sub for the next few matches, scoring a penalty in Milan's 5–2 win over Genoa
. Because of the great recent form of teammate Marco Borriello
, Huntelaar did not even appear as a sub very often until Borriello got sidelined due to an injury. Huntelaar capitalized on the opportunity by scoring his second brace of the season, helping Milan to a 3–2 defeat of Udinese
. He then scored another goal in Milan's 2–1 win over Fiorentina after coming off the bench. When Marco Borriello hit bad form, Huntelaar was expected to play more often but Leonardo chose to play Filippo Inzaghi
instead. A few weeks later, on 3 April, Huntelaar started the match against Cagliari
and scored a spectacular goal from 30 yards out to stretch his goal tally to 7.
club Schalke 04
and Milan
reached an agreement to sell Huntelaar to the Bundesliga
side for a fee of €12 million, to allow room for Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimović
. On 19 September 2010, he scored his first goal for Schalke in a 3–1 home defeat against Borussia Dortmund
. He scored two goals in the UEFA Champions League Group Stage match against Olympic Lyon on the 24 November 2010. On 21 May 2011, Huntelaar scored a brace against MSV Duisburg
in the 2011 DFB-Pokal Final
, securing a 5–0 win for Schalke. This secured the club their fifth DFB-Pokal championship and their first major trophy in nine years.
match against FC Teningen
. Huntelaar found the net four times in an 11–1 thrashing of the Landesliga Südbaden side. After falling 3–0 away to VfB Stuttgart
on the opening day of the 2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga
season, Schalke and Huntelaar rebounded well by defeating 1. FC Köln
5–1 at the Veltins Arena. Köln went up 1–0 in the early stages thanks to a Lukas Podolski
goal, but Huntelaar netted a hat-trick as his side ran rampant in the second half securing their first points of the season. Huntelaar continued his good goal-scoring form the following weekend, finding the back of the net in the 57th minute against Mainz
after being fed in by strike partner Raúl. Schalke had been down 2–0 after 12 minutes, but Huntelaar started a second-half rally that earned the visitors a 4–2 victory. On 25 August 2011, Huntelaar scored four goals, including two penalties, in a 6–1 win in the qualifying play-off round of the UEFA Europa League against HJK Helsinki, allowing Schalke to overturn a 2–0 first leg deficit and advance to the group stage
6–3 on aggregrate.
After the resignation of head coach Ralf Rangnick on 22 September 2011, former Royal Blues manager Huub Stevens
returned to the team for their game against Hamburger SV
on 2 October. Huntelaar powered his side to victory in Stevens' first game back, heading in a sensational opening goal and netting the winner in the 73' minute with a delightful flick past Jaroslav Drobny
.
for the Netherlands under coach Louis van Gaal
. He scored 2 goals in the tournament before the Dutch were eliminated in the quarter finals by Egypt. After scoring 44 goals in 47 appearances for Heerenveen and Ajax in all competitions during 2005–06, Huntelaar was named in the preliminary Netherlands squad
for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
, but was not selected for the final squad and instead sent to play in the UEFA Under-21 Championship held in Portugal
. Huntelaar became top scorer in the tournament with four goals including two in the final on 4 June 2006 to help the Netherlands beat Ukraine
3–0 and claim their first ever title at under-21 level. Huntelaar was named as one of two strikers in the UEFA Team of the Tournament. In the aftermath, Huntelaar was promoted from the under-21 squad where he remains the Netherlands all-time top goalscorer with 18 goals in 22 matches.
's next friendly match, away against the Republic of Ireland
on 16 August 2006. Huntelaar scored 2 goals and provided 2 assist
s on his senior debut in the Netherlands' 4–0 win, and thus became the first Dutch player to score on his full international debut for 28 years since Dick Nanninga in 1978.
After being left out 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 and went on to score his first competitive international goal in the Netherlands 2–0 victory. Huntelaar was included in the Netherlands Euro 2008 squad, and scored in his only appearance in the tournament with the opening goal of their final Group C
match against Romania
in a 2–0 victory.
With the retirement of Ruud van Nistelrooy
, Huntelaar became new Dutch national team coach Bert van Marwijk
's first choice striker for the 2010 World Cup qualification
match against Iceland
in October 2008, and scored in a 2–0 victory. Huntelaar has since taken his goalscoring record at international level to 14 goals in 25 appearances for the Dutch senior team. Huntelaar was included in the preliminary squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
in South Africa
. On 27 May 2010, Netherlands manager Bert van Marwijk
announced that the player would be part of the final squad of 23 participating in the competition.
Huntelaar came on as a substitute in the Netherlands' second game of the tournament against Japan
in a 1–0 win and earned his 33rd international cap, while Wesley Sneijder
's second half goal in the 53rd minute gave the Dutch victory at Durban
's Moses Mabhida Stadium. On 24 June 2010, Huntelaar received his 34th cap, when he replaced goalscorer Robin van Persie
in the 58th minute against Cameroon
in the Green Point Stadium, in Cape Town
and scored the winning goal in the 83rd minute in a 2–1 win, taking his goal tally to 16 in 34 games for the Netherlands. Huntelaar also came on as a substitute for Van Persie in the round of 16 game against Slovakia
and in the quarter-final against Brazil
. He was an unused substitute in the final against Spain
as the Netherlands lost their third World Cup final 0–1 due to a late goal by Andrés Iniesta
. He has currently earned 36 international caps, and has netted 16 goals for the Dutch national team as of 2 July 2010.
On 3 September 2010 he scored a hat-trick against San Marino
in a Euro 2012 qualifying
match at the Stadio Olimpico
, a match which the Netherlands won 5–0. He followed this up with both goals for the Netherlands as they defeated Finland
on 7 September 2010 in Rotterdam.
Huntelaar added further goals to his tally, with a double in a 4–1 win against Sweden
on 12 October 2010. He was the leading top goalscorer in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
competition with twelve goals, leaving him one shy of David Healy's all-time qualification record.
As of October 2011, he has won 48 caps for his country and has netted 30 goals in total. After scoring the first goal in the 3–2 defeat against Sweden, Huntelaar's Oranje 30 goal total is only 10 goals away from Patrick Kluivert's all-time 40 goal record for Oranje.
Bronckhorst
Bronckhorst is the name of a municipality in Gelderland, the Netherlands. The municipality is the result of a merger of the former municipalities Hengelo, Hummelo en Keppel, Steenderen, Vorden and Zelhem, on 1 January 2005...
, Gelderland
Gelderland
Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...
), nicknamed The Hunter, is a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
footballer who plays as a striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
for Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
and the Dutch national football team. Huntelaar is a prolific striker with brilliant technique and athleticism and has been compared in style to players such as Marco van Basten and Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals...
. Former Netherlands, Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
and Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
manager Louis van Gaal
Louis van Gaal
Aloysius Paulus Maria "Louis" van Gaal OON is a Dutch football manager formerly in charge of Ajax, Netherlands, Barcelona, AZ and Bayern Munich...
has been quoted saying about the player "in the penalty area, he is the best player in the world, bar none."
Named Dutch Football Talent of the Year
Dutch Footballer of the Year
The title Dutch Footballer of the Year has been awarded in the Netherlands since 1984. The award is determined by a poll of Dutch professional footballers playing in the First and Second leagues....
and Ajax "Player of the Year" in 2006, Huntelaar was a part of the Dutch side that won the 2006 UEFA U-21 Championship
2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Final:-Goalscorers:4 goals Klaas Jan Huntelaar3 goals Thomas Kahlenberg Nicky Hofs2 goals Bryan Bergougnoux Ruslan Fomin Artem Milevskiy...
where he became the tournament's leading goalscorer. He was also named as one of two strikers in the UEFA Team of the Tournament. He is the all-time top scorer of the Netherlands U-21 national team
Netherlands national under-21 football team
The Netherlands national under-21 football team is the national under-21 team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association. The team competes in the European Under-21 Championship, held every two years....
with 18 goals in 22 appearances. In domestic competition he finished top scorer in the Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
2005–06 and 2007–08
Eredivisie 2007-08
The 2007–08 Eredivisie was the 52nd season of the Eredivisie, the top division of association football in the Netherlands. The season began in August 2007 and ended on 18 May 2008, with defending champions PSV retaining their title with 72 points....
seasons. Huntelaar played previously for PSV, De Graafschap
De Graafschap
De Graafschap is a professional football club from Doetinchem, Netherlands. It was formed on 1 February 1954 and they play their home games at the "De Vijverberg" stadium. Their current home ground stands on where the old pitch used to be located and was opened on 12 August 2000...
, AGOVV Apeldoorn
AGOVV Apeldoorn
AGOVV Apeldoorn is a Dutch football club, playing in the Eerste Divisie, based in Apeldoorn.The club was founded on 25 February 1913, as AGOSV, which stood for Apeldoornse Geheel Onthoudersvoetbalvereniging Steeds Voorwaarts...
, Heerenveen, Ajax, Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, and Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
, before joining Schalke in August 2010.
Personal life
Huntelaar was born in Voor-DremptBronckhorst
Bronckhorst is the name of a municipality in Gelderland, the Netherlands. The municipality is the result of a merger of the former municipalities Hengelo, Hummelo en Keppel, Steenderen, Vorden and Zelhem, on 1 January 2005...
, a village in the Achterhoek
Achterhoek
The Achterhoek is a region in the eastern part of the Netherlands, Europe.Its name is geographically appropriate because the area lies in the Eastern-most part of Gelderland, and therefore of the Netherlands, protruding into Germany...
region of Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, but moved to Hummelo
Hummelo
Hummelo is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is located in the municipality of Bronckhorst, about 6 km northwest of Doetinchem....
when he was six weeks old. He lived with parents Dirk-Jan and Maud Huntelaar, and his two brothers Niek and Jelle. Huntelaar has been in a relationship with his girlfriend Maddy Schoolderman since 2000. On 9 April 2009, the couple had their first child, a boy called Seb, and on 20 July 2011, their second child Axel was born.
Early career
At the age of five, Huntelaar, along with his two brothers, joined the local football team VV H. en K. where he played for the next six years. He was scoutedScout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
as a youth talent during this period by Go Ahead Eagles
Go Ahead Eagles
The Go Ahead Eagles are a football club from Deventer, Netherlands, currently playing in the Eerste Divisie. The club's home stadium is De Adelaarshorst. To date, the club has won the national championship four times...
but the distance required to travel to the team's base in Deventer
Deventer
Deventer is a municipality and city in the Salland region of the Dutch province of Overijssel. Deventer is largely situated on the east bank of the river IJssel, but also has a small part of its territory on the west bank. In 2005 the municipality of Bathmen Deventer is a municipality and city in...
prevented him from joining the club.
Soon after, he was scouted by De Graafschap
De Graafschap
De Graafschap is a professional football club from Doetinchem, Netherlands. It was formed on 1 February 1954 and they play their home games at the "De Vijverberg" stadium. Their current home ground stands on where the old pitch used to be located and was opened on 12 August 2000...
and on 6 April 1994 he signed his first youth contract, aged 11. During his first two years with De Graafschap, Huntelaar played in various positions including left wing, attacking midfield, left back, and even goalkeeper; only in his third year was he deployed as a striker.
In the 1997–98 season, the 14-year-old Huntelaar was the main 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 1999–2000 season he became top scorer of the B1 league with 31 goals. His goalscoring abilities drew the attention of PSV, who subsequently signed him in June 2000.
PSV
Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink is a Dutch football manager and former player. He was the most recently manager of the Turkish national football team. He is considered to be one of the best managers of his generation and was the best-paid coach in international football in 2009...
. He made his first team debut on 23 November 2002 in a 0–3 away win over RBC Roosendaal, coming on as a second half substitute
Substitute (football)
In association football, a substitute is a player who is brought on to the pitch during a match in exchange for an existing player. Substitutions are generally made to replace a player who has become tired or injured, or who is not performing well; there may also be tactical reasons such as...
for Mateja Kežman
Mateja Kežman
Mateja Kežman is a Serbian football striker who plays for FC BATE Borisov of the Belarusian Premier League....
in the 76th minute. However, this turned out to be his only appearance for PSV.
De Graafschap
By the start of 2003, it was clear that Huntelaar’s path into the first team was blocked, therefore he was sent out on loan to his previous club De GraafschapDe Graafschap
De Graafschap is a professional football club from Doetinchem, Netherlands. It was formed on 1 February 1954 and they play their home games at the "De Vijverberg" stadium. Their current home ground stands on where the old pitch used to be located and was opened on 12 August 2000...
where his uncle was financial director. He made his senior debut for De Graafschap on 8 February 2003, coming on as a substitute for Hans van de Haar
Hans van de Haar
Johannes "Hans" van de Haar is a Dutch footballer who is currently unattached.-Netherlands:van de Haar has extensive experience playing in the Dutch, German and Austrian football leagues, having played with HFC Haarlem, De Graafschap, KFC Uerdingen 05, SSV Ulm 1846, SW Bregenz, FC Utrecht and RKC...
against Roosendaal. He made his only appearance in the starting lineup on 16 February 2003 as De Graafschap were beaten 1–5 by his future employers SC Heerenveen. He then made his final appearance in the team on 29 May 2003 as De Graafschap lost 2–1 to FC Zwolle
FC Zwolle
FC Zwolle is a Dutch football club based in Zwolle, currently playing in the Eerste Divisie, the country's second level of professional club football. The club was founded in 1990 after the bankruptcy of PEC. They have played in the Eredivisie, the highest tier of Dutch football, for a total of...
, confirming their demotion
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
from the Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
. In total Huntelaar made nine Eredivisie appearances for the Super Farmers, one as a starter and 8 as a substitute, but was unable to score and De Graafschap decided not to extend his loan.
AGOVV
At the start of the 2003–04 season, Huntelaar was again sent out on loan, this time to newly-promoted Eerste DivisieEerste Divisie
The Eerste Divisie is the second-highest division of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie via a promotion/relegation system. It is also known as the Jupiler League due to sponsorship, which is the same name as the top league in Belgium...
side AGOVV Apeldoorn
AGOVV Apeldoorn
AGOVV Apeldoorn is a Dutch football club, playing in the Eerste Divisie, based in Apeldoorn.The club was founded on 25 February 1913, as AGOSV, which stood for Apeldoornse Geheel Onthoudersvoetbalvereniging Steeds Voorwaarts...
under coach Jurrie Koolhof
Jurrie Koolhof
Jurjen Jacob Koolhof is a former Dutch international football striker and manager.As a player, Koolhof had a long and productive career, with 190 league goals. He played for a number of clubs in the Netherlands including Vitesse Arnhem, F.C. Groningen and PSV Eindhoven...
. He made a good start, scoring on his debut for AGOVV against TOP Oss
TOP Oss
FC Oss is a professional football club from the Netherlands, which was founded on April 9, 1928. They currently play in the Eerste Divisie.-History:...
, and then scoring a hat-trick in his second league game against Heracles Almelo
Heracles Almelo
Heracles Almelo is a football club from Almelo, Netherlands.Heracles Almelo were founded on May 3, 1903 as Heracles, after the demigod son of Zeus. They changed their name on July 1, 1974 to SC Heracles '74 and finally settled on the current name in 1998. The club has won the Dutch national title...
. Huntelaar scored 26 goals in 35 league appearances and finished the season as the division's top goalscorer as well as being named the Eerste Divisie's Player of the Season. AGOVV later went on to name one of the stands at their Sportpark Berg & Bos stadium the "Klaas-Jan Huntelaar stand" in tribute to his impact at the club.
Heerenveen
At the end of his loan at AGOVV, Huntelaar turned down the opportunity to sign a new contract with PSV, and FrisianFriesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
club SC Heerenveen moved in to sign him. Huntelaar started the 2004–05 season by scoring on his Eredivisie debut with Heerenveen against AZ and took his scoring tally to 10 goals in 17 games at the winter break. At the end of the season Huntelaar had scored a total of 17 goals in 31 matches, helping Heerenveen qualify for the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
. In the 2005–06 season, Huntelaar continued where he had left off in his first season at Heerenveen, and by the winter, he had scored 17 goals in 15 matches at which point the top Dutch clubs began vying for his signature.
Ajax
In January 2006 Huntelaar signed for AFC Ajax, the club he had supported as a child. Heerenveen received €9 million plus future incentives for the player, with 15% (€1.35 million) of the fee going to PSV. Huntelaar made his Ajax debut after the winter break and scored his first goal for the team on 5 February 2006, against his former club SC Heerenveen in a KNVB CupKNVB Cup
The KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
tie. During February, Huntelaar scored nine goals in seven matches for Ajax, including against Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
club Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
on his UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
debut. Huntelaar ended the season as top scorer for Ajax with 16 league goals in 16 appearances despite only joining in January, and also finished up as the Eredivise's top scorer with 33 league goals. He scored a total of 44 goals in 47 appearances in all club competitions. Ajax finished second in the Eredivisie and Huntelaar featured in the Eredivisie Playoffs for Champions League qualification, scoring in consecutive matches against Feyenoord as well as playing in the victory over FC Groningen to secure Ajax's place in the following season's Champions League. In the KNVB Cup semi-final, Huntelaar scored a bicycle kick
Bicycle kick
A Bicycle kick or Scissor kick is a physical move made by throwing the body up into the air, making a shearing movement with the legs to get one leg in front of the other without holding on to the ground. The move can either be done backwards or sideways...
equalizer in injury-time against Roda JC, taking the game to extra-time. Ajax went on to win 4–1 with Huntelaar scoring another goal in the 109th minute. In the final, against his former club PSV, Huntelaar scored two goals to help Ajax win the KNVB Cup 2–1. Huntelaar was named Dutch Football Talent of the Year and Ajax Player of the Year for 2005–06.
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
's new Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium
Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...
in a testimonial match
Testimonial match
A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
for Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp , is a former Dutch professional footballer who is currently the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax. At club level he played for Ajax, Internazionale, and Arsenal, and also represented the Netherlands at international level...
. He was named vice-captain of Ajax for 2006–07 in his first full season at the club. Huntelaar scored two goals for Ajax in a Champions League qualifying match against FC Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen is a professional Danish football club in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is part of the Parken Sport & Entertainment....
to secure a 2–1 away win in the first leg, but a 2–0 home defeat in the second leg saw them knocked out of the Champions League on aggregate. Ajax went on to play in the UEFA Cup where Huntelaar scored seven goals in seven matches, including against Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize...
who would eliminate them in the third round. In the Eredivisie, Huntelaar scored 21 goals as Ajax again finished second, once more having to play in the Eredivisie Playoffs to claim a place in the Champions League. Huntelaar scored two goals in the second leg of the Playoffs semi-final against Heerenveen in a 4–1 aggregate win. Ajax then beat AZ 4–2 on aggregate for a place in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. In the KNVB Cup, Huntelaar scored four goals in six matches, including an equalizer in the final against AZ which ended in a 1–1 draw after extra-time. Huntelaar scored in the penalty shoot-out
Penalty shootout (football)
A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
decider to help Ajax retain the KNVB Cup, winning 8–7 on penalties. Huntelaar scored 36 goals in 51 games in all competitions for Ajax in 2006–07.
In 2007–08, Huntelaar partnered up front with new striking-partner Luis Suárez
Luis Suárez (Uruguayan footballer)
Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz , commonly known as Luis Suárez and nicknamed "El Pistolero" , is a Uruguayan footballer who plays for Liverpool and the Uruguayan national team...
. However, Ajax were again knocked out of the Champions League at the qualifying stage, with Huntelaar missing a penalty in the first leg against Slavia Prague. Ajax were also eliminated from the UEFA Cup by Dinamo Zagreb on away goals, with Huntelaar's two goals not enough to secure Ajax's place in the competition. In the first Eredivisie match of the season, Huntelaar scored four goals in an 8–1 away victory over newly promoted De Graafschap
De Graafschap
De Graafschap is a professional football club from Doetinchem, Netherlands. It was formed on 1 February 1954 and they play their home games at the "De Vijverberg" stadium. Their current home ground stands on where the old pitch used to be located and was opened on 12 August 2000...
. Following the retirement of Jaap Stam
Jaap Stam
Jakob "Jaap" Stam is a retired Dutch football player who was twice voted best defender in the 1998–99 and 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League. He played for several European clubs like PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, S.S. Lazio, A.C. Milan and AFC Ajax before retiring in October 2007...
in October 2007, Huntelaar was made temporary captain, pending the return of experienced midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
Edgar Davids
Edgar Davids
Edgar Steven Davids is a retired Dutch footballer and current member of the supervisory board of Ajax. After beginning his career with the Amsterdam club, he subsequently played in Italy for Milan and Juventus before a loan spell with Barcelona. He went on to play for Internazionale and Tottenham...
from injury. On 6 April 2008, Huntelaar scored his 100th goal in the Eredivise with a hat-trick in Ajax's 4–1 win against De Graafschap. In the previous 25 years, only Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp , is a former Dutch professional footballer who is currently the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax. At club level he played for Ajax, Internazionale, and Arsenal, and also represented the Netherlands at international level...
and Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt is a Dutch footballer who plays for English club Liverpool. He started his career as a striker, but he has been converted into a winger and plays the position for both Liverpool and the Netherlands national team....
had managed that feat before their 25th birthday. Huntelaar finished the season with 33 goals in 34 appearances, becoming top scorer in the Eredivisie and the first Ajax player to score 30 league goals in a season for 21 years, since Marco van Basten in 1986–87.
At the start of the 2008–09
Eredivisie 2008-09
The Eredivisie 2008–09 is the fifty-third season of Eredivisie since its establishment in 1955. PSV were the reigning champions. The season began on 29 August 2008 with a game between Vitesse and FC Groningen and ended on 10 May 2009. A total of 18 teams take part in the league, consisting of 16...
, Marco van Basten was appointed as Ajax coach and named Huntelaar as permanent first team captain. Huntelaar scored nine goals in 15 appearances in all competitions before suffering torn ankle ligaments on 9 November 2008 in a league match against Sparta Rotterdam
Sparta Rotterdam
Sparta Rotterdam is the oldest professional football team in the Netherlands, established on April 1, 1888. Sparta is one of three professional football clubs from Rotterdam, the others being Excelsior and Feyenoord , the latter playing in the Eredivisie.-History:Sparta was first founded in 1887....
. He would not play again for fully eight weeks later and it turned out to be his last game for Ajax.
Real Madrid
At the start of December 2008, Real Madrid CF reached an agreement with Ajax to sign Huntelaar in the mid-season transfer windowTransfer window
The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...
in January. Huntelaar joined Real Madrid in January 2009 for an initial fee thought to be worth €20 million, potentially rising to €27 million.
He made his debut on 4 January 2009 on his return from injury in a La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
home match against Villarreal
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...
. He played for 56 minutes and made four further appearances as a substitute, before scoring his first goal for the team on 15 February 2009 in a 0–4 away win at Sporting Gijón
Sporting de Gijón
Real Sporting de Gijón, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club from Gijón, Asturias. Founded in 1 June 1905, it currently plays in Spanish first division....
. Real Madrid had planned to add both Huntelaar and fellow new signing Lassana Diarra
Lassana Diarra
Lassana "Lass" Diarra is a French footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid. His predominant position is defensive midfielder but he can also play in a more advanced role and has played at right back, which he occasionally did for former clubs Chelsea, as well as France.-Early career:Diarra...
to their 2008–09 Champions League squad, but both players had already featured in the same season's UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
for previous clubs Ajax and respectively. UEFA rules would allow only one of the pair to be registered by 1 February 2009 and defensive midfielder Diarra was selected to play in the competition. Huntelaar went on to score eight goals in 20 appearances (13 starts and 7 sub appearances) in just half a season at Real Madrid.
Milan
In August 2009, Huntelaar transferred to Serie ASerie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
club AC Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
for a reported €15 million, signing a four-year contract. On 14 August 2009, Huntelaar made his debut for Milan during the TIM Trophy
TIM Trophy
The TIM trophy is a yearly football pre-season tournament played by 3 Italian football teams. The competition usually consists of the squads of Juventus, Inter and Milan. This is an unofficial tournament that has been held yearly in August since 2001...
friendly tournament. Huntelaar was unable to play any part in Milan's opening league game of the season due to a suspension he had incurred whilst playing for Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
. On 29 August, Huntelaar made his competitive league debut for Milan coming on as a sub in the 0–4 loss to cross-city rivals Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
. After a slow start, Huntelaar scored his first and second goal for Milan in injury time on 29 November 2009 in a 2–0 win against Catania
Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania is an Italian football club founded in 1908 and based in Catania, Sicily. The club has spent much of its history in Serie B, gaining promotion to Italy's top league Serie A five times...
after coming on in the 84th minute.
After the match Leonardo
Leonardo Araújo
Leonardo Nascimento de Araújo, known as Leonardo , is a football manager and a former midfielder. He is currently active as director of football of French club Paris Saint-Germain....
stated that he would give Huntelaar more chances. However, Huntelaar only appeared as a sub for the next few matches, scoring a penalty in Milan's 5–2 win over Genoa
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...
. Because of the great recent form of teammate Marco Borriello
Marco Borriello
Marco Borriello is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Roma. He has previously played for other Italian clubs, including Milan, Sampdoria, Treviso, Reggina, Empoli, Triestina, and Genoa.-Early career:...
, Huntelaar did not even appear as a sub very often until Borriello got sidelined due to an injury. Huntelaar capitalized on the opportunity by scoring his second brace of the season, helping Milan to a 3–2 defeat of Udinese
Udinese Calcio
Udinese Calcio is an Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and currently plays in the Serie A. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A, after Genoa....
. He then scored another goal in Milan's 2–1 win over Fiorentina after coming off the bench. When Marco Borriello hit bad form, Huntelaar was expected to play more often but Leonardo chose to play Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi, Ufficiale OMRI commonly known as Pippo, is a World Cup and UEFA Champions League-winning Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan....
instead. A few weeks later, on 3 April, Huntelaar started the match against Cagliari
Cagliari Calcio
Cagliari Calcio is an Italian football club based in Cagliari, Sardinia. The club was formed in 1920 and currently plays in Italian Serie A, having spent a large part of recent years mainly in Serie A and Serie B....
and scored a spectacular goal from 30 yards out to stretch his goal tally to 7.
Schalke 04
On 31 August 2010, GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
club Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
and Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
reached an agreement to sell Huntelaar to the Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
side for a fee of €12 million, to allow room for Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimović
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimović is a Swedish footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Milan and the Swedish national team for which he is captain....
. On 19 September 2010, he scored his first goal for Schalke in a 3–1 home defeat against Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
. He scored two goals in the UEFA Champions League Group Stage match against Olympic Lyon on the 24 November 2010. On 21 May 2011, Huntelaar scored a brace against MSV Duisburg
MSV Duisburg
MSV Duisburg is a German association football club based in Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia. Nicknamed "the Zebras" for their traditional striped jerseys, the club was one of the original members of the Bundesliga when it was formed in 1963.-Early years:...
in the 2011 DFB-Pokal Final
2011 DFB-Pokal Final
The 2010–11 DFB-Pokal season came to a close on 21 May 2011 when Duisburg played against Schalke 04 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. For the first time since 2004 a team from the 2...
, securing a 5–0 win for Schalke. This secured the club their fifth DFB-Pokal championship and their first major trophy in nine years.
2011–12
On 31 July 2011, Huntelaar started alongside Raul in a DFB-Pokal2011–12 DFB-Pokal
The 2011–12 DFB-Pokal is the sixty-ninth season of the annual German football cup competition. It commenced on 29 July 2011 with the first of six rounds and will conclude on 12 May 2012 with the final at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin....
match against FC Teningen
FC Teningen
FC Teningen is a German association football club from Teningen, Baden.-History:The association was founded in 1929 named TuS Teningen and from 1946 to 1949 SpV Teningen. 2000, the team captured the division title and was promoted to the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg...
. Huntelaar found the net four times in an 11–1 thrashing of the Landesliga Südbaden side. After falling 3–0 away to VfB Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons...
on the opening day of the 2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga
2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga
The 2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga is the 49th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season started on 5 August 2011 with the season opening match involving defending champions Borussia Dortmund and will end with the last games on 5 May 2012...
season, Schalke and Huntelaar rebounded well by defeating 1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln is a German association football club based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 as a merger of the clubs Kölner Ballspiel-Club 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07....
5–1 at the Veltins Arena. Köln went up 1–0 in the early stages thanks to a Lukas Podolski
Lukas Podolski
Lukas Josef Podolski ; born Łukasz Podolski ) on 4 June 1985 in Gliwice, Poland) is a German footballer who plays as a striker/winger for 1. FC Köln and for the German national team. He joined 1. FC Köln in 1995 where he broke into the first team in 2003 and made 81 appearances for the club before...
goal, but Huntelaar netted a hat-trick as his side ran rampant in the second half securing their first points of the season. Huntelaar continued his good goal-scoring form the following weekend, finding the back of the net in the 57th minute against Mainz
1. FSV Mainz 05
1. Fußball- und Sportverein Mainz 05 e. V., usually shortened to 1. FSV Mainz 05, Mainz 05, or simply Mainz, is a 1905 founded German association football club based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. In addition to the football section the 1. FSV Mainz 05 has a handball and table tennis department...
after being fed in by strike partner Raúl. Schalke had been down 2–0 after 12 minutes, but Huntelaar started a second-half rally that earned the visitors a 4–2 victory. On 25 August 2011, Huntelaar scored four goals, including two penalties, in a 6–1 win in the qualifying play-off round of the UEFA Europa League against HJK Helsinki, allowing Schalke to overturn a 2–0 first leg deficit and advance to the group stage
2011–12 UEFA Europa League group stage
This article details the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League group stage.The group stage will feature 48 teams: the 38 winners of the play-off round, and the 10 losing teams from the Champions League play-off round....
6–3 on aggregrate.
After the resignation of head coach Ralf Rangnick on 22 September 2011, former Royal Blues manager Huub Stevens
Huub Stevens
Hubertus "Huub" Jozef Margaretha Stevens is a Dutch football manager and former defender.- Playing career :...
returned to the team for their game against Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
on 2 October. Huntelaar powered his side to victory in Stevens' first game back, heading in a sensational opening goal and netting the winner in the 73' minute with a delightful flick past Jaroslav Drobny
Jaroslav Drobný
Jaroslav Drobný was an amateur tennis champion as well as being an ice hockey player for the Czechoslovakian national team...
.
International career
Youth squads
Huntelaar played in the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship2001 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in Argentina between June 17 and July 8, 2001. The 2001 championship was the 13th contested. The tournament took part in six cities, Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Mendoza, Rosario, Salta, and Mar del Plata...
for the Netherlands under coach Louis van Gaal
Louis van Gaal
Aloysius Paulus Maria "Louis" van Gaal OON is a Dutch football manager formerly in charge of Ajax, Netherlands, Barcelona, AZ and Bayern Munich...
. He scored 2 goals in the tournament before the Dutch were eliminated in the quarter finals by Egypt. After scoring 44 goals in 47 appearances for Heerenveen and Ajax in all competitions during 2005–06, Huntelaar was named in the preliminary Netherlands squad
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, but was not selected for the final squad and instead sent to play in the UEFA Under-21 Championship held in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. Huntelaar became top scorer in the tournament with four goals including two in the final on 4 June 2006 to help the Netherlands beat Ukraine
Ukraine national under-21 football team
The Ukraine national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine.After Ukrainian Independence in 1991, the Ukraine senior team played their first match in April 1992...
3–0 and claim their first ever title at under-21 level. Huntelaar was named as one of two strikers in the UEFA Team of the Tournament. In the aftermath, Huntelaar was promoted from the under-21 squad where he remains the Netherlands all-time top goalscorer with 18 goals in 22 matches.
Senior squad
Following his achievements with the under-21 squad, Huntelaar was selected by senior team coach Marco van Basten for the Dutch national teamNetherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
's next friendly match, away against the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
on 16 August 2006. Huntelaar scored 2 goals and provided 2 assist
Assist
-Sports:Several sports have a statistic known as an "assist", generally relating to action by a player leading to a score by another player on their team:*Assist , a pass by a player that facilitates a basket by another...
s on his senior debut in the Netherlands' 4–0 win, and thus became the first Dutch player to score on his full international debut for 28 years since Dick Nanninga in 1978.
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
and Slovenia
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
. Due to the suspension of Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals...
, Huntelaar was in the starting line-up against Slovenia and went on to score his first competitive international goal in the Netherlands 2–0 victory. Huntelaar was included in the Netherlands Euro 2008 squad, and scored in his only appearance in the tournament with the opening goal of their final Group C
UEFA Euro 2008 Group C
Group C of the 2008 UEFA European Championships is one of four groups of competing nations at UEFA Euro 2008. The first of three rounds of matches took place on 9 June, and finished on 17 June. All six group matches were played at venues in Switzerland, in Zürich and Berne. The group is composed of...
match against Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
in a 2–0 victory.
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals...
, Huntelaar became new Dutch national team coach Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk OON is the coach of the Netherlands national football team. He also played for Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV, Fortuna Sittard, and other clubs, as well as for the Dutch national team. In 1982, he began his transition into coaching, retiring as a player in 1988 and becoming a full time...
's first choice striker for the 2010 World Cup qualification
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of...
match against Iceland
Iceland national football team
The Iceland national football team is the national football team of Iceland and is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland. It has never advanced to the finals of any major international competition....
in October 2008, and scored in a 2–0 victory. Huntelaar has since taken his goalscoring record at international level to 14 goals in 25 appearances for the Dutch senior team. Huntelaar was included in the preliminary squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. On 27 May 2010, Netherlands manager Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk OON is the coach of the Netherlands national football team. He also played for Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV, Fortuna Sittard, and other clubs, as well as for the Dutch national team. In 1982, he began his transition into coaching, retiring as a player in 1988 and becoming a full time...
announced that the player would be part of the final squad of 23 participating in the competition.
Huntelaar came on as a substitute in the Netherlands' second game of the tournament against Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
in a 1–0 win and earned his 33rd international cap, while Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA....
's second half goal in the 53rd minute gave the Dutch victory at Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
's Moses Mabhida Stadium. On 24 June 2010, Huntelaar received his 34th cap, when he replaced goalscorer Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Arsenal and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord. Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16 August 2011...
in the 58th minute against Cameroon
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
in the Green Point Stadium, in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
and scored the winning goal in the 83rd minute in a 2–1 win, taking his goal tally to 16 in 34 games for the Netherlands. Huntelaar also came on as a substitute for Van Persie in the round of 16 game against Slovakia
Slovakia national football team
The Slovakia national football team represents Slovakia in association football and is controlled by the Slovak Football Association , the governing body for football in Slovakia. Slovakia's home stadium is Štadión Pasienky and their head coach is Vladimír Weiss...
and in the quarter-final against Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
. He was an unused substitute in the final against Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
as the Netherlands lost their third World Cup final 0–1 due to a late goal by Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta Luján is a Spanish football player. He currently plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, and the Spanish national team....
. He has currently earned 36 international caps, and has netted 16 goals for the Dutch national team as of 2 July 2010.
On 3 September 2010 he scored a hat-trick against San Marino
San Marino national football team
The San Marino national football team is the national football team of San Marino, controlled by the San Marino Football Federation...
in a Euro 2012 qualifying
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine...
match at the Stadio Olimpico
Stadio Olimpico (San Marino)
Stadio Olimpico is a multi-purpose stadium in Serravalle, San Marino. It is currently used mostly for football matches. It is the national stadium of San Marino, and is also used by the club San Marino Calcio, which plays in the Italian football league. The Stadio Olimpico was also used by...
, a match which the Netherlands won 5–0. He followed this up with both goals for the Netherlands as they defeated Finland
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
on 7 September 2010 in Rotterdam.
Huntelaar added further goals to his tally, with a double in a 4–1 win against Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
on 12 October 2010. He was the leading top goalscorer in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine...
competition with twelve goals, leaving him one shy of David Healy's all-time qualification record.
As of October 2011, he has won 48 caps for his country and has netted 30 goals in total. After scoring the first goal in the 3–2 defeat against Sweden, Huntelaar's Oranje 30 goal total is only 10 goals away from Patrick Kluivert's all-time 40 goal record for Oranje.
International goals
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 August 2006 | Lansdowne Road Lansdowne Road Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts... , Dublin, Ireland Republic of Ireland Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,... |
0–1 | 0–4 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 2 | 16 August 2006 | Lansdowne Road Lansdowne Road Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts... , Dublin, Ireland Republic of Ireland Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,... |
0–3 | 0–4 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 3 | 17 October 2007 | Philips Stadion Philips Stadion Philips Stadion is the 35,000 seater stadium of football club, PSV Eindhoven. It was first inaugurated on 31 August 1913. The stadium is located in the Philipsdorp part of the Eindhoven borough of Strijp, close to Eindhoven's city centre.... , Eindhoven, Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
2–0 | 2–0 | Euro 2008 Qualifying | |
| 4 | 6 February 2008 | Poljud Stadium, Split Split (city) Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and... , Croatia Croatia Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ... |
0–2 | 0–3 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 5 | 26 March 2008 | Ernst Happel Stadion Ernst Happel Stadion The Ernst Happel Stadium in Leopoldstadt, the 2nd district of Austria's capital Vienna, is the largest stadium in Austria. It was built between 1929 and 1931 for the second Workers' Olympiad to the design of German architect Otto Ernst Schweizer... , Vienna Vienna Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre... , Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
3–1 | 3–4 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 6 | 26 March 2008 | Ernst Happel Stadion Ernst Happel Stadion The Ernst Happel Stadium in Leopoldstadt, the 2nd district of Austria's capital Vienna, is the largest stadium in Austria. It was built between 1929 and 1931 for the second Workers' Olympiad to the design of German architect Otto Ernst Schweizer... , Vienna Vienna Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre... , Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
3–4 | 3–4 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 7 | 24 May 2008 | De Kuip, Rotterdam Rotterdam Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre... , Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 8 | 17 June 2008 | Stade de Suisse, Bern, Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
1–0 | 2–0 | Euro 2008 | |
| 9 | 6 September 2008 | Philips Stadion Philips Stadion Philips Stadion is the 35,000 seater stadium of football club, PSV Eindhoven. It was first inaugurated on 31 August 1913. The stadium is located in the Philipsdorp part of the Eindhoven borough of Strijp, close to Eindhoven's city centre.... , Eindhoven, Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
1–0 | 1–2 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 10 | 11 October 2008 | De Kuip, Rotterdam Rotterdam Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre... , Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
2–0 | 2–0 | World Cup 2010 Qualifying 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of... |
|
| 11 | 11 February 2009 | Stade 7 November Stade 7 November National stadium of Rades is a multi-purpose stadium in Rades, Tunisia. It is currently used mostly for football matches and it also has facilities for athletics. The stadium holds 65,000 and was built in 2001 for the 2001 Mediterranean Games and is considered to be one of the best stadiums in... , Radès Radès Radès is a harbour city in Ben Arous Governorate, Tunisia. Situated 9 kilometres south-east of the capital Tunis, some consider it a Tunis suburb, and parts of the harbour installations of Tunis are located in Radès.... , Tunisia Tunisia Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area... |
0–1 | 1–1 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 12 | 28 March 2009 | Amsterdam ArenA Amsterdam ArenA Amsterdam Arena is a stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is the largest stadium in the nation and it was built from 1993 to 1996 at a cost of €140 million, and was officially opened on 14 August 1996. It has been used for association football, American football, concerts, and other events... , Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
1–0 | 3–0 | World Cup 2010 Qualifying 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of... |
|
| 13 | 1 April 2009 | Amsterdam ArenA Amsterdam ArenA Amsterdam Arena is a stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is the largest stadium in the nation and it was built from 1993 to 1996 at a cost of €140 million, and was officially opened on 14 August 1996. It has been used for association football, American football, concerts, and other events... , Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
2–0 | 4–0 | World Cup 2010 Qualifying 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of... |
|
| 14 | 5 September 2009 | De Grolsch Veste, Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 15 | 3 March 2010 | Amsterdam ArenA Amsterdam ArenA Amsterdam Arena is a stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is the largest stadium in the nation and it was built from 1993 to 1996 at a cost of €140 million, and was officially opened on 14 August 1996. It has been used for association football, American football, concerts, and other events... , Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
2–0 | 2–1 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 16 | 24 June 2010 | Cape Town Stadium, South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup 2010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010... |
|
| 17 | 3 September 2010 | Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle Stadio Olimpico (San Marino) Stadio Olimpico is a multi-purpose stadium in Serravalle, San Marino. It is currently used mostly for football matches. It is the national stadium of San Marino, and is also used by the club San Marino Calcio, which plays in the Italian football league. The Stadio Olimpico was also used by... , San Marino San Marino San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino... |
2–0 | 5–0 | Euro 2012 Qualifying UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
|
| 18 | 3 September 2010 | Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle Stadio Olimpico (San Marino) Stadio Olimpico is a multi-purpose stadium in Serravalle, San Marino. It is currently used mostly for football matches. It is the national stadium of San Marino, and is also used by the club San Marino Calcio, which plays in the Italian football league. The Stadio Olimpico was also used by... , San Marino San Marino San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino... |
3–0 | 5–0 | Euro 2012 Qualifying UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
|
| 19 | 3 September 2010 | Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle Stadio Olimpico (San Marino) Stadio Olimpico is a multi-purpose stadium in Serravalle, San Marino. It is currently used mostly for football matches. It is the national stadium of San Marino, and is also used by the club San Marino Calcio, which plays in the Italian football league. The Stadio Olimpico was also used by... , San Marino San Marino San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino... |
4–0 | 5–0 | Euro 2012 Qualifying UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
|
| 20 | 7 September 2010 | De Kuip, Rotterdam Rotterdam Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre... , Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
1–0 | 2–1 | Euro 2012 Qualifying UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
|
| 21 | 7 September 2010 | De Kuip, Rotterdam Rotterdam Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre... , Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
2–0 | 2–1 | Euro 2012 Qualifying UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
|
| 22 | 8 October 2010 | Zimbru Stadium Zimbru Stadium Zimbru Stadium is a football-specific stadium in Chişinău, Moldova built in May, 2006 with a capacity of 10,400 people, corresponds to all norms required by UEFA and FIFA for the national and international matches... , Chişinău Chisinau Chișinău is the capital and largest municipality of Moldova. It is also its main industrial and commercial centre and is located in the middle of the country, on the river Bîc... , Moldova Moldova Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part... |
0–1 | 0–1 | Euro 2012 Qualifying UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
|
| 23 | 12 October 2010 | Amsterdam ArenA Amsterdam ArenA Amsterdam Arena is a stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is the largest stadium in the nation and it was built from 1993 to 1996 at a cost of €140 million, and was officially opened on 14 August 1996. It has been used for association football, American football, concerts, and other events... , Amsterdam Amsterdam Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population... , Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
1–0 | 4–1 | Euro 2012 Qualifying UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
|
| 24 | 12 October 2010 | Amsterdam ArenA Amsterdam ArenA Amsterdam Arena is a stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is the largest stadium in the nation and it was built from 1993 to 1996 at a cost of €140 million, and was officially opened on 14 August 1996. It has been used for association football, American football, concerts, and other events... , Amsterdam Amsterdam Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population... , Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
3–0 | 4–1 | Euro 2012 Qualifying UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
|
| 25 | 17 November 2010 | Amsterdam ArenA Amsterdam ArenA Amsterdam Arena is a stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is the largest stadium in the nation and it was built from 1993 to 1996 at a cost of €140 million, and was officially opened on 14 August 1996. It has been used for association football, American football, concerts, and other events... , Amsterdam Amsterdam Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population... , Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 26 | 9 February 2011 | Philips Stadion Philips Stadion Philips Stadion is the 35,000 seater stadium of football club, PSV Eindhoven. It was first inaugurated on 31 August 1913. The stadium is located in the Philipsdorp part of the Eindhoven borough of Strijp, close to Eindhoven's city centre.... , Eindhoven, Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
2–0 | 3–1 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 27 | 2 September 2011 | Philips Stadion Philips Stadion Philips Stadion is the 35,000 seater stadium of football club, PSV Eindhoven. It was first inaugurated on 31 August 1913. The stadium is located in the Philipsdorp part of the Eindhoven borough of Strijp, close to Eindhoven's city centre.... , Eindhoven, Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
5–0 | 11–0 | Euro 2012 Qualifying UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
|
| 28 | 2 September 2011 | Philips Stadion Philips Stadion Philips Stadion is the 35,000 seater stadium of football club, PSV Eindhoven. It was first inaugurated on 31 August 1913. The stadium is located in the Philipsdorp part of the Eindhoven borough of Strijp, close to Eindhoven's city centre.... , Eindhoven, Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
8–0 | 11–0 | Euro 2012 Qualifying UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
|
| 29 | 7 October 2011 | De Kuip, Rotterdam Rotterdam Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre... , Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
1–0 | 1–0 | Euro 2012 Qualifying UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
|
| 30 | 11 October 2011 | Råsunda Stadium Råsunda Stadium Råsunda Fotbollstadion, also Råsundastadion, Råsunda Stadium or just Råsunda, is a Swedish national football stadium. It is located in Solna Municipality in Metropolitan Stockholm and named after Råsunda, a zone of Solna.-History:... , Solna Solna Municipality Solna Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden, located just north of the capital Stockholm. Its seat is located in the 'city' of Solna.... , Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
1–1 | 3–2 | Euro 2012 Qualifying UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
Clubs
| Club | Season | League | Domestic Cups | European Competitions | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Ratio | ||
| PSV |
2002–03 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | >1 | >0 | |
| Total | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| De Graafschap De Graafschap De Graafschap is a professional football club from Doetinchem, Netherlands. It was formed on 1 February 1954 and they play their home games at the "De Vijverberg" stadium. Their current home ground stands on where the old pitch used to be located and was opened on 12 August 2000... |
2002–03 | 9 | 0 | - | - | - | - | >9 | >0 | |
| Total | 9 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 9 | 0 | 0 | |
| AGOVV Apeldoorn AGOVV Apeldoorn AGOVV Apeldoorn is a Dutch football club, playing in the Eerste Divisie, based in Apeldoorn.The club was founded on 25 February 1913, as AGOSV, which stood for Apeldoornse Geheel Onthoudersvoetbalvereniging Steeds Voorwaarts... |
2003–04 | 35 | 26 | 2 | 1 | - | - | >37 | >27 | |
| Total | 35 | 26 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 37 | 27 | ||
| Heerenveen |
2004–05 | 31 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | >39 | >19 | |
| 2005–06 | 15 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | >22 | >20 | ||
| Total | 46 | 33 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 5 | 61 | 39 | ||
| Ajax |
2005–06 | 16 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 1 | >25 | >24 | |
| 2006–07 | 32 | 21 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 9 | >51 | >36 | ||
| 2007–08 | 34 | 33 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | >45 | >36 | ||
| 2008–09 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | >15 | >9 | ||
| Total | 92 | 76 | 25 | 15 | 19 | 14 | 136 | 105 | ||
| Real Madrid Real Madrid C.F. Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la... |
2008–09 | 20 | 8 | - | - | - | - | >20 | >8 | |
| Total | 20 | 8 | – | – | – | – | 20 | 8 | ||
| Milan A.C. Milan Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others... |
2009–10 | 25 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | >30 | >7 | |
| Total | 25 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 30 | 7 | ||
| Schalke 04 FC Schalke 04 Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major... |
2010–11 | 24 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 3 | >35 | >13 | |
| 2011–12 | 13 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 6 | >21 | >23 | ||
| Total | 37 | 20 | 5 | 7 | 14 | 9 | 56 | 36 | ||
| Total | 262 | 170 | 36 | 24 | 49 | 28 | 350 | 222 | ||
International statistics
| National team | Year | Friendly | Competitive | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Netherlands | 2006 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2007 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | ||
| 2008 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 7 | ||
| 2009 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 4 | ||
| 2010 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 11 | ||
| 2011 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 5 | ||
| Career Total | 23 | 12 | 26 | 18 | 49 | 30 | ||
Club
- Ajax
- KNVB CupKNVB CupThe KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
: 2005–06, 2006–07 - Johan Cruyff ShieldJohan Cruijff-schaalThe Johan Cruijff Schaal is a football trophy in the Netherlands named after legendary Dutch football player Johan Cruyff, also often referred to as the Dutch Super Cup. The winner is decided in one match only, played by the winner of the national football league and the winner of the national...
: 2006Johan Cruijff-schaal XIThe match for the Johan Cruijff-schaal XI was held on 13 August 2006 between Eredivisie 2005-06 champions PSV and KNVB Cup 2005-06 winners AFC Ajax. Ajax won the match 3–1.-Match details:...
, 2007Johan Cruijff-schaal XIIThe match for the Johan Cruijff-schaal XII was held on 11 August 2007 between Eredivisie 2006-07 champions PSV and KNVB Cup 2006-07 winners AFC Ajax. Ajax won the match 1–0.-Match details:...
- KNVB Cup
- Schalke 04
- DFB-PokalDFB-PokalThe DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
: 2010–112010–11 DFB-PokalThe 2010–11 DFB-Pokal was the sixty-eighth season of the annual German football cup competition. It commenced on the weekend around 14 August 2010 with the matches of Round 1 and concluded on 21 May 2011 with the final at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin... - DFL-Supercup: 20112011 DFL-Supercup-References:...
- DFB-Pokal
International
- UEFA U-21 Championship 2006
- 2010 FIFA World Cup2010 FIFA World CupThe 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
Runner-up: 2010
Individual
- Eerste DivisieEerste DivisieThe Eerste Divisie is the second-highest division of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie via a promotion/relegation system. It is also known as the Jupiler League due to sponsorship, which is the same name as the top league in Belgium...
Top Scorer: 2003–04 - Eerste Divisie Player of the Year: 2003–04
- Eredivisie Top Scorer: 2005–06, 2007–08
- Eredivisie Talent of the Year: 2005–06
- UEFA U-21 Championship Top Scorer: 2006
- UEFA U-21 Championship Golden Player: 2006
- UEFA Euro Qualifying Top Scorer: 2012
- Dutch Under-21 All-Time Top Scorer