Huntelaar eager to be first choice

Sunday, 27 June 2010

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar cheering his goal against Cameroon

With a well controlled shot from a rebound Klaas-Jan Huntelaar decided the game against Cameroon on Thursday. The winning goal was a reward for his hard labor of the past few weeks in training. "When I keep trying very hard it will all be al-right, always," he says.

Huntelaar never lacked self-confidence. He does lack patience from time to time. During training he's been finding the back of the net from all angles, and during the training matches he's been so sharp that manager Bert van Marwijk had to ask him to tone it down a bit. "It's just that I tend to work harder and harder when things are not working out the way I want them to."

During the first game at the World Cup Van Marwijk kept Huntelaar on the bench, and against Japan the forward only got three minutes of playing time. "Yet I was very happy to get my term, albeit only briefly. But against Cameroon I played half an hour. To then score as well is an extra."

When Van Marwijk took over from Marco van Basten after Euro 2008 Huntelaar started out as the number 1 striker, but since he has been overtaken by Robin van Persie and Dirk Kuyt. That had little to do with his performances in the Dutch side. No one in the current squad scores on such regular basis as Huntelaar does, with 16 goals from 34 appearances. "And that average could have been better if I had started more," he says.

Huntelaar lost his spot in the starting lineup because he wasn't a regular at his clubs Real Madrid and AC Milan. He still he doesn't regret playing for such big clubs where there is more competition. "I did well at Madrid, but I had to go because the new president of the club wanted a different way of playing. At AC Milan I kept on fighting for a spot. I played regularly after the winter break; albeit mostly on the right wing."

"Things are the way they are," Huntelaar knows. "I just have to keep on working hard and hope I get a break. I have to take the chances I get, like I did against Cameroon. We didn't do bad with Holland. We play a decent game. Many teams do, but I think we can do a lot better. Let's hope it shows in the coming weeks."

Both Robin van Persie and Dirk Kuyt have been booked, so the chances for Huntelaar to play get bigger when either or both pick up another yellow card. "I don't think about such things. I want to do it myself."