Huntelaar wants to be important!

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored eight goals in six games for Madrid but his third coach in 6 months didn’t want to have him training with the big boys. As the new AC Milan striker, he wants his starting position in Oranje back. “I’ve got to show it again.”

He is stoic and unshakable, Marco van Basten said about Huntelaar. The center striker can’t be distracted, according to the former Oranje coach. He knows what he can and can’t do and he knows what he’s good at: scoring goals. Wherever.

He may be stoic, but when he thinks back at his time in Madrid, he can’t surpress a smile. “Listen, I dealt with three different coaches, three different chairmen… They paid 27 million euros for me, I scored 8 out of 6, which is a tremendous ratio and then they let me go. Who’s crazy here, me or them?”

The 26 year old can smile again. He found a tremendous club in AC Milan. He plays football with the likes of Ronaldinho, Ambrosini, Andrea Pirlo, Pato and one Clarence Seedorf. Not only that, the 17-times crowned club still smells of Van Basten, Gullit, Rijkaard, Baresi, Maldini and Donadoni. “You feel the ghosts from the pasts. Italy is culture. I love it!”

Huntelaar played his first minutes against Inter Milan as a sub. “The coach wanted to award the lads who played against Siena. But they didn’t buy me for the bench, I’m sure.” The ex-Ajax captain has been benched in Oranje as well. The last three games, Kuyt played on his spot. “I didn’t play regularly in Madrid, so I can understand that.”

Huntelaar scored 13 times in 24 games, an average of 0,542 goals per game, which is pretty good. “It was even higher, it was 13 times in 21 games, but the last games I came on as a sub. So, they count, but it’s harder to score. Anyway, I have to demonstrate I’m back. I have all the opportunities with Milan now, where they really appreciate me. Real didn’t want me anymore and tried to sell me to Stuttgart. That appalled me. Not that I don’t like Stuttgart or the Bundesliga, but the way that all went. I want to control my own career, thank you. Do I know what game is on on October 21…? Haha, we play Real Madrid for the CL. That’ll be a good game, haha…”.