It seemed like Klaas-Jan Huntelaar had all but made it and sealed the best days of his career at the Bernabeu when he signed for Real Madrid in January 2009. The striker, who had built his reputation at Ajax as one of the deadliest forwards in Europe, had completed his big move out of Holland and was sure to continue his goal scoring exploits in Spain. But unlike Ruud Van Nistelrooy or Robin van Persie who had made the switch from Holland to a league with a much higher profile, Huntelaar was not to follow the path of his countrymen—not for the moment at least. This was definitely not an Afonso Alves story either, Huntelaar had much more about him than the Brazilian who moved to Middlesbrough in 2008; but his stock had certainly fallen following his departure from the Eredivisie.
The Dutchman’s time in Spain was short-lived, moving to AC Milan the following summer after amassing a total of just eight league goals. While a change of scenery might have been best for Huntelaar, a move to Milan saw him experience similar problems of settling in and adjusting . His first goal came only in November and he continued to struggle for first-team chances. Just a season had pasted since his arrival when he was once again on the move. This time, however, the suggested suitors of Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United were nowhere to be seen and Huntelaar elected to join German club Schalke in order to revive his career. Possibly the best move for all concentred as Huntelaar has finally found the form that drew the attention of Europe’s elite and has re-established himself as one of the best strikers in Europe at present.
What we’ve seen from Huntelaar during his time in Germany is a striker who has not lost any of his instincts to put the ball in the back of the net. He’s formed a productive partnership with former Real Madrid captain Raul and has led the German side’s scoring charts all season with 33 goals so far. While the move to Gelsenkirchen is a notable step down from the heights of Madrid and Milan, what it certainly doesn’t suggest is a step down in quality from a striker who needed to regain his confidence in front of goal.
Huntelaar’s first goal on the weekend against Wolfsburg—his team’s second of the night—was a perfect example of a player who has re-gained his scoring touch. A ball played in from the wide position and with Huntelaar left on his own in the penalty area to side foot the ball into the net. An easy goal for a player of his quality, but one he would have no doubt wasted two or three seasons ago. Despite a number of chances to put his side further ahead—including a missed penalty—the striker completed his brace with a close range header to tie with Mario Gomez as top scorer in Germany.
There’s no questioning that the 28-yeard old, who has a fantastic scoring record for his country, would be welcomed with open arms to the Premier League. Tall, strong, and able to lead the line as a solitary striker or in a pair, Huntelaar represents everything of an old fashioned No.9. While suggestions of a move to Arsenal and Manchester United in the recent times did quickly rise and just as rapidly disappear, he has erased any doubt that here is a player very much of the quality with which to be given a key role in any top side in England.
Bernd Schuster, who left his managerial position at Real Madrid just before Huntelaar arrived, compared the striker to Marco van Basten, stating, “He looks like he was cloned from Marco van Basten. The way he moves, shoots with both legs and powerful headers all remind me of van Basten.” Comfortably one of the highest compliments a Dutch player can receive, and testament to his work and application to re-gain a standing at the summit of mountain.
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