Euro 2008 Player Profile: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar

Name: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
Team: Netherlands
Group: C; Italy, France, Romania.
Caps (Goals): 11 (6) - as of May 5, 2008
DOB: August 12, 1983 (24 years old)
Position: Striker
Club Team: Ajax

It remains to be seen how much of an impact KJH will have during the summer, but there’s no doubt he’ll be one of the most intriguing and anticipated players going in. Partly because of his unquestionable ability to do that one thing which pleases crowds most with a little pinch of the spectacular, and partly because if he plays well enough, there will be a massive auction beginning immediately for his services. Of course, there may be one regardless of how he plays.

To start with Huntelaar you only need one word: goals. Klaas has a hell of a skill set, with technique and movement belying his status as a big man. The player he’s often compared to is none other than current and perhaps future, should he not move anywhere, coach, Marco van Basten. (I hear he wasn’t half bad.) However, his greatest skill is his predatory instinct, the one which allows for obscenely high goal totals.

Totals which are beginning to show up across the board:

Ajax (half 05-06 & 06-08): 113 games, 96 goals (34 games, 33 goals this season)
Heerenveen (04-05 & half 05-06): 60 games, 41 goals.
AGOVV (03-04): 35 games, 26 goals.
Netherlands: 11 caps, 6 goals.
Netherlands U-21: 22 caps, 18 goals.

There’s a great deal of criticism for goalscorers in the Eredivisie, but it’s hard to argue with those consistent domestic stats combined with his international numbers. Where KJH goes, goals follow.

The question really is how much time he’ll see. He only played 346 minutes over 4 games during qualifiers, though his domestic form has been nothing short of scintillating, and they’ve got that other guy who’s pretty good in Ruud van Nistelrooy. Plus other players like Robin van Persie, Dirk Kuijt and Danny Koevermans at van Basten’s disposal. If he isn’t selected, it may not have anything to do with him, though he’ll almost surely feature at some point.

Whatever the case, people will surely be paying attention when he takes the field. It seems only a matter of time before he makes his big splash in senior international action after narrowly missing out on selection for World Cup 2006. Could be that he’ll just need to move a bit south to Swissaustria to announce his arrival.

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