Early Career
At the age of five, Huntelaar, along with his two brothers, joined the local football team VV H. en K. where he played for the next six years. He was scouted as a youth talent during this period by Go Ahead Eagles but the distance required to travel to the team's base in Deventer prevented him from joining the club.
Soon after, he was scouted by De Graafschap and on 6 April 1994 he signed his first youth contract, aged 11. During his first two years with De Graafschap, Huntelaar played in various positions including left wing, attacking midfield, left back, and even goalkeeper; only in his third year was he deployed as a striker.
In the 1997–98 season, the 14-year-old Huntelaar was the main striker for the C-team at De Graafschap and scored 33 goals in 20 matches. The following season saw him promoted to the B1 team, and in the 1999–2000 season he became top scorer of the B1 league with 31 goals. His goalscoring abilities drew the attention of PSV, who subsequently signed him in June 2000.
Read more about this topic: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
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