Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (born August 12 , 1983 ) is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Ajax and the Netherlands . He previously represented PSV Eindhoven , De Graafschap , AGOVV Apeldoorn , and SC Heerenveen .

Various media outlets have noted him as a rising star in Dutch football, being named Dutch Football Talent of the Year and Ajax "Player of the year" in 2006 . Due to his goal-scoring ability he has earned the nickname "The Hunter", a play on his last name. He was a part of the Dutch side that won the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship , where he became the tournament's leading goal-scorer. He was also named in the UEFA Team of the Tournament . He is the all-time highest goal-scorer for the Netherlands U21 squad with 18 goals in 22 matches. In domestic football he was Eredivisie 's top scorer in the 2005–06 season with 33 goals in 31 games. He also became the top scorer in the 2007–08 season with 33 goals in 34 appearances.

Huntelaar was born in Drempt, a village in the Achterhoek region of Netherlands , but moved to Hummelo when he was six weeks old.

Huntelaar is a striker who plays as a centre forward, or an "out-and-out" striker, rather than as a supporting striker. He has a good technical ability and can score goals with his head and with either foot.

Strikers have traditionally found it very difficult to succeed at Ajax, and Goal.com columnist Wout Stravers has praised Huntelaar for avoiding ending up at the "Amsterdam striker cemetery".

In his first season at PSV, Huntelaar quickly established himself as a prolific goalscorer for their A1 youth team under coach Willy van der Kuijlen (the all-time top scorer in the Eredivisie with 311 goals), scoring 26 goals in 23 games to become top scorer in the youth league.

Having failed to establish himself in the PSV first team, Huntelaar was sent on loan to his old club De Graafschap . He made his senior debut for De Graafschap on February 8 , 2003 , coming on as a substitute for Hans van de Haar against RBC Roosendaal .

At the start of the 2003–04 season Huntelaar was again sent on loan, this time to newly-promoted Eerste Divisie side AGOVV Apeldoorn under coach Jurrie Koolhof .

After Huntelaar turned down the opportunity to sign a new contract with PSV, Frysian club SC Heerenveen moved in to sign him for a transfer fee of €100,000. At the end of the season, Huntelaar had scored a total of 17 goals in 31 matches, and was a decisive factor in helping Heerenveen qualify for the UEFA Cup .

Huntelaar was once again on target in the first league game of the 2005–06 season , against Vitesse . A substantial sum went to rivals PSV Eindhoven as a result of a training compensation rule imposed by FIFA .

After transferring from Heerenveen during the winter break, Huntelaar struggled in his first month with Ajax. It was only in February, in his fifth match for Ajax, that he scored his first goal, in a Gatorade Cup tie against his old club Heerenveen.

When Jaap Stam was named Ajax captain in July 2006, Huntelaar was named as vice-captain.

On July 2 , 2007 , Huntelaar signed a sponsorship deal with Nike , having previously been under contract with Adidas .

Huntelaar participated in the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship for the Netherlands under coach Louis van Gaal . The striker scored two goals in the tournament before the Dutch were eliminated in the quarter finals by Egypt.

Huntelaar was part of the preliminary Dutch squad prior to the 2006 FIFA World Cup , but was not chosen in the squad for the tournament itself. Coach Marco van Basten explained that he felt Huntelaar would benefit from more experience and from playing at the UEFA Under 21 football championships in Portugal with Foppe de Haan 's Netherlands U21 squad , going as far as to say that it was up to the player to "show us there that by not selecting Huntelaar we did not do the right thing".

Huntelaar's status as a rising star was confirmed when Marco van Basten decided to select the striker as his starting striker in the Dutch National squad's friendly against the Republic of Ireland on August 16 , 2006 . Huntelaar paid immediate dividends in his debut for the senior squad by scoring two goals, and making two assists, in Holland's 4–0 victory.

1  Stekelenburg  â€¢ 2  Heitinga  â€¢ 3  Silva  â€¢ 4  Vermaelen  â€¢ 5  Emanuelson  â€¢ 6  Kuffour  â€¢ 7  Kennedy  â€¢ 8  Urzaiz  â€¢ 9 Huntelaar â€¢ 10  Luque  â€¢ 11  Leonardo  â€¢ 12  Heijblok  â€¢ 13  Davids  â€¢ 15  Delorge  â€¢ 16  Suárez  â€¢ 17  Vertonghen  â€¢ 18  Gabri  â€¢ 19  Rommedahl  â€¢ 20  Ogăraru  â€¢ 21  Manucharyan  â€¢ 22  Mitea  â€¢ 23  Lindgren  â€¢ 24  Donald  â€¢ 25  Van der Wiel  â€¢ 26  Sarpong  â€¢ 27  Anita  â€¢ 28  Krohn-Dehli  â€¢ 29  Perez  â€¢ 30  Gentenaar  â€¢ 31  Colin  â€¢ 32  Slijngard  â€¢ 34  Goossens  â€¢ 37  van der Heijden  â€¢ 38  De Jong  â€¢ 39  Wormgoor  â€¢ Manager:  Koster