Clare Hunt: “It feels like an environment I can contribute in"
Fri 16 August 2024, 10:00|
Tottenham Hotspur
Clare Hunt believes her experience and knowledge over the past few seasons can contribute to the Club after completing her move to us on Friday.
The defender joins us from Paris Saint-Germain, where she made 22 appearances in all competitions last season for them, including eight in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, and has signed a contract until 2027.
It will be Clare’s first exposure of playing in the Barclays Women’s Super League and the Australia international is looking forward to competing in England’s top-flight and for the Club.
“I was drawn to Spurs for the way that they play, the club culture that is here and, for me, it feels like an environment where I can contribute to and really add value to this Club, so I’m really excited to get started,” she told SPURSPLAY after completing her move.
“The league has so much exposure, there’s some of the best players in the world competing here and, I think, to play alongside them and against them, week in, week out, will help me develop as a person and as a footballer.
“My biggest goal is to contribute all my experience and continue to build my value and give back to the Club. I’m really keen to get started.”
Clare becomes the second Matilda in the squad, following in the footsteps of Charlotte Grant who joined us back in January, 2024, and the 25-year-old spoke about her involvement in completing a move to north London.
“She gave me a really positive wrap about Spurs, gave me the ins and outs of what the Club is like and how I can contribute to this environment too, so to see her thrive here has given me a lot of confidence knowing that I could do that.”
It has been a whirlwind 18-months for the defender, having overcome a number of injuries in the early stages of her career, Clare made her Matildas debut in February, 2023, and has become an integral part of their team, featuring in every game during their 2023 FIFA World Cup campaign and, most recently, at the 2024 Olympic games.
Watch - New signing: Clare Hunt
Reflecting on her journey so far, she said: “I suffered a lot of injuries between the ages of 16 to 23, in that period I had seven surgeries, so my professional career didn’t really get started until the year before the 2023 FIFA World Cup.
“I completed an undergraduate course in that period as it gave me a good outlet to get into my education, I finished school with the want to go to university and be educated in that way so I did my undergraduate in my physiology and pharmacology and then started a masters, but didn’t manage to complete it as I got called-up to the national team.
“Since then, I have played a lot of football for Australia, I’m keen to use all my knowledge and experience from the national team and bring it here too, inspire players at the Club, and also young boys and girls in London to get involved in football and enjoy their journey too.”
Having started her career in Australia with Canberra United and then Western Sydney Wanderers, she made the switch to the French top-flight with Paris Saint-Germain last summer, and she feels quipped for the new challenge in England.
“I moved to Paris Saint-Germain last year and the World Cup in the summer before that helped me prepare well for that. However, culturally and language barrier-wise it was an enormous change for me, but it has allowed me to grow and prosper as a person, as a footballer, and I’m keen to bring all my learnings and all my experience to the Club now.”
