Foxsportsasia - Iran international Alireza Jahanbakhsh has capped off a memorable season with AZ Alkmaar by finishing as the top scorer in the Dutch Eredivise with 21 goals.
Starting Sunday’s final round of the 2017/18 campaign on 18 goals, one more than PSV Eindhoven’s Hirving Lozano and Bjorn Maars Johnsen of ADO Den Haag, it took Jahanbakhsh just 13 minutes to break the deadlock against PEC Zwolle.
Alireza Jahanbakhsh in the Eredivisie this season:
33 games
21 goals
12 assists
78 key passes
111 successful dribbles
The 24-year-old doubled his and his side’s tally seven minutes after the restart and, following further goals by Fredrik Midtsjo and Wout Weghorst (2), completed his hat-trick in the 88th minute to seal a 6-0 win.
With Lozano failing to hit the target in a 0-0 draw with Groningen, Johnsen emerged as Jahanbaksh’s main competitor and the Norwegian did net two goals in a 3-2 triumph over Roda JC.
Nonetheless, his valiant challenge ultimately came up short as Jahanbakhsh finished two goals above him to seal the Golden Boot.
In doing so, Jahanbakhsh becomes the first Asian ever to finish as the highest-scoring player in an Eredivisie campaign.
Interestingly enough, his compatriot Reza Ghoochannejhad came close to achieving the feat last season, netting 20 goals for Heerenveen to finish one behind Nicolai Jorgensen.