Forward Klaas-Jan Huntelaar extends contract with Ajax

"I really wanted to continue, preferably here at Ajax. I can't see myself playing with a different jersey anymore. I feel fit, I come to training with pleasure and I am sure I can still contribute on the field," said the attacker, who turns 37 in August.

"I know my role changes over the years, I have been thinking about it a lot lately and have discussed it with the coach," he added.

The technical director of Ajax, Marc Overmars, commented that the club "wanted to keep Huntelaar anyway" and added that the presence of the veteran forward in the squad will benefit "the development of talents like Lassina Traoré (19 years old) and Brian Brobbey (18 years old)."

Overmars also suggested that the player will remain linked to the club after retiring. "We talked about the future and other roles for him at Ajax, but we will discuss that at a later stage," he explained.

Huntelaar was one of the pillars of Amsterdam's attack in the 2019/20 Eredivisie, which was suspended in March due to the coronavirus, as he scored nine goals in the 18 games he played.

His participation in European competitions went unnoticed as he was a substitute in all matches, both in the Champions League and the Europa League.

"The Hunter" played the 2008/09 season at Real Madrid, where he scored eight goals in the twenty matches he played with the white jersey, and later signed for Milan.