Huntelaar top of the class

AFC Ajax's Klaas Jan Huntelaar has won the Johan Cruyff Award after being named the Netherlands' Young Player of the Year.

Illustrious jury
The Eredivisie's 33-goal top scorer took seven votes from a panel of judges comprising Cruyff, Marco van Basten, Danny Blind, Foeke Booy, Willy Dullens, Ruud Gullit, Guus Hiddink, Wim Jansen, Wim Jonk, Erwin Koeman, Johan Neeskens and John van 't Schip. PSV Eindhoven's Jefferson Farfán received four votes.

'A real goalscorer'
"Huntelaar is a true goalscorer and has done three special things in one season," said Cruyff. "First he has scored the most goals, secondly he has coped with his mid-season transfer from [SC] Heerenveen to Ajax, and after that he has dragged his new club out of trouble." Huntelaar scored 17 goals in 15 games for Heerenveen before registering 16 in as many matches in Amsterdam.

Special reward
The 22-year-old was delighted to be honoured, especially as the award allows him to have a mini-pitch constructed near where he grew up. "This is great," he said. "What I especially like is that I can put a small 'Cruyff Pitch' near the place where I started playing football myself."