Huntelaar follows Van Basten example

After another two goals took his Eredivisie career tally to 99 on Saturday, favourable comparisons are being drawn between AFC Ajax striker Klaus Jan Huntelaar and former club great and Netherlands coach Marco van Basten, a man he is looking to impress ahead of UEFA EURO 2008™.

Van Basten clone 
Huntelaar's double strike in Ajax's 4-2 victory over his former club SC Heerenveen on Saturday – a win that meant rivals PSV have to wait another game for their chance to seal the title – took his Dutch top-flight total to 99 in 135 games. His goalscoring feats have not gone unnoticed with Real Madrid CF coach Bernd Schuster the latest to be impressed. "It seems like they have cloned him from Marco van Basten," said Schuster. "His way of moving, shooting with both feet and heading power all remind me of Van Basten."

Ajax ambition
Former international striker Van Basten will leave his national team post to take over at Ajax after EURO and with all the admiring glances from across Europe, he hopes Huntelaar's future lies at the Dutch club where he has a contract until 2010. "He really wants me to stay at Ajax," said the 24-year-old, who revealed he regularly speaks with Van Basten about his future when the Dutch squad meet up. Huntelaar has already made his mark for the national side and following three goals in his last two games, looks sure to be included in Van Basten's squad for UEFA EURO 2008™. The striker, though, remains modest about his chances. "One can never be sure, but I think I have made a huge step forward in the past two Oranje matches," he said.

Prolific record
The front man scored his first professional league goals with Dutch second Division side AGOVV Apeldoorn, striking 26 times in 35 matches during the 2003/04 season. The player now known as the Hunter was picked up by Heerenveen where he kept up his impressive scoring ratio by notching 34 goals in 46 outings. He then moved to Ajax two years ago where he has been even more prolific, and is one goal shy of becoming the Amsterdam club's first player to hit 30 goals in a season in 21 years. Unsurprisingly, the previous player to reach that mark was Van Basten, who got one more. With three games left in the season, many are backing Huntelaar to go on to eclipse the national team coach's achievement, then, like Van Basten star at the European Championship this summer.