Thu 29 August 2024, 10:00
Tottenham HotspurClare Hunt became our third signing of the summer transfer window, with the defender joining us from French side Paris Saint-Germain at the beginning of August.
From overcoming setbacks in the early stages of her career to making her name in the Women’s A-League, to now an integral part of the Matildas side in the 2023 FIFA World Cup and the 2024 Olympic games, we take a look at the 25-year-old’s journey so far…
Player profile
Age: 25
Position: Defender
Nationality: Australia
Previous clubs: Canberra United, Western Sydney Wanderers and Paris Saint-Germain
A sporting background
Born in Grenfell, New South Wales in Australia, Clare came from a sporting family background, with her dad being an ex-rugby league player and her brother currently a professional cricketer, playing for the South Australia cricket team, so the defender had a few sports to select from when growing but always felt football was the one.
“I started playing football when I was quite young, like four or five years old, at my local football club and then progressed, so when I was like 12 or 13, I started doing representation stuff before making the decision at around this time to be quite competitive.
“We had a lot of options to play quite a few different sports back home so, for me, I enjoyed football the most and invested plenty of time in it.
“It required a lot of travelling and a lot of commitment from my mum or dad to get me to places to play whether that was Canberra or Sydney – which could be two or five hours one-way trips – so that’s kind of how it all started.”
Behind The Scenes | Clare Hunt
A rising star in the A-League
Clare would join Canberra United Academy at the age of 15 and went on to make her senior debut for the Club in November, 2016, in a 5-2 win against Newcastle Jets, before making a further three appearances during the campaign.
After achieving four appearances in her first year before seven in the following season, the defender then suffered a lengthy spell on the sidelines and, with this, prioritised her education off the pitch.
Clare spent time at University of Sydney and achieved a Bachelor of Science degree and began studying Doctor of Physiotherapy in an extended Master before having to put that on hold due to involvement with the Matildas.
The 25-year-old then joined Western Sydney Wanderers in September, 2021, and made eight appearances before suffering a season-ending injury, however, she played a pivotal part in the backline, ultimately seeing her win the prestigious Wanderers medal in her first season at the Club before certainly making a name for herself in her second year with the club.
Being named captain for the 2022/23 campaign, she featured in all but one game in the A-League campaign, while also scoring her first senior goal, with her excellent displays seeing her voted in the PFA A-League’s Team of the Season before being subsequently handed her first call-up to the Australia senior squad in that season.
New country, new league
After seven years of playing in her native country, Clare embarked on a new adventure in her career as she moved to France to join Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain following her impressive performances at the 2023 FIFA World Cup on home soil, where she featured in all seven games during their campaign.
The defender made her debut for the side in their 1-1 draw with Manchester United in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off game in October, 2023, coming on after just 17 minutes.
Clare would make a further seven appearances in the UEFA Champions League for PSG, helping them to reach the semi-final of the competition, while also appearing in 13 French top flight games as they finished second in the table.
She would taste silverware in her first season in the French capital as PSG won the French Cup after beating Fleury 1-0 in the final back in May, 2024. Reflecting on her decision to move overseas and start a new challenge, she admitted it was difficult but feels it has helped her develop as a player and as a person.
Speaking to SPURSPLAY after completing her move, she added: “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.”
Rapid rise through the Matildas
It has been quite a whirlwind 18 months for Clare in a Matildas shirt.
Due to the injuries suffered in the early stages of her career, the defender had to wait for her opportunity in a Matildas and, once it came, she definitely took it with both hands and has become an integral part of their backline.
She made her senior international debut back in February, 2023, in the Cup of Nations tournament in the 4-0 win over Czech Republic, which saw the manager at the time, Tony Gustavsson, labelling her display as one of the greatest debuts he’d seen in his career.
Following her senior debut for her country, she worked herself into the starting XI ahead of the 2023 FIFA World Cup hosted across Australia and New Zealand, helping them to reach the semi-final of the competition for the first time in their history.
Clare has now made 24 appearances for the Matildas to date, with three of those coming just last month at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
“It’s always a privilege to play for Australia and to have the success we did at the World Cup,” she said. “It feels amazing to be part of that squad and it has given me the opportunity to develop and express myself on an international level.”
Reflecting on playing at the World Cup on home soil, Clare added: “That was one of the best footballing experiences I have had and definitely one that will stay with me for a very long time.”
