Jizz Hornkamp will continue his career at AZ. The 27-year-old striker successfully passed the medical examination on Friday afternoon and then signed for 4.5 years. For Heracles Almelo, the sale of the player is an absolute record transfer.
After Hornkamp scored 10 goals in 14 Eredivisie matches in the first half of the competition, there was great interest in him from home and abroad. Born in De Rijp in the municipality of Alkmaar, he quickly chose AZ, the club where he also spent part of his youth as a football player.
“Jizz himself really wanted to take this step and a player’s preference certainly counts,” explains Ernest Faber, technical director of Heracles Almelo. “He had a six-month contract with us, with an option for another season. Also given the transfer fee involved, we came to the conclusion in close consultation with the Supervisory Board that this transfer is a sensible choice from a business perspective. This is a win-win situation for both Jizz and us.”
Jizz Hornkamp’s transition to AZ, which plays in the UEFA Conference League, fits in seamlessly with the training philosophy that Heracles Almelo has in mind. Faber: “That means scouting players at a smart time, then trying to make them significantly better and ultimately allowing them to move on to a higher level. Jizz has been at Heracles Almelo for 2.5 years and during that period he has clearly helped himself and certainly also the club. This is simply a very nice transfer for everyone involved.”
Faber is also head coach of Heracles Almelo and acknowledges that the departure of his top scorer can be a sporting loss. “However, I see enough positive things with which we can compensate for this. With Luka Kulenovic and Mario Engels, we certainly have two players who can fill the striker position well. Last season, Luka scored more goals than Jizz and after a difficult start, he has already scored 4 in this competition. And when Jizz was injured at the beginning of last season, Mario did well as a centre-forward. Just like Luka, Mario is good on the ball and has scoring ability. We are also looking externally for players who can strengthen us. I have every confidence. that we can bring the selection to the required level in this window.”
Jizz Hornkamp came to the Asito stadium from KKD club Willem II in the summer of 2023. Of the 85 Eredivisie matches that Heracles Almelo has played since then, he played 57. Hornkamp scored 28 goals.
