By Genevieve Henry 12/10/23
Above: Clare Hunt in action for PSG against Manchester United. Photo’s by Matthew Appleby, pitch side for Impetus
Clare Hunt played every single minute of Australia’s World Cup campaign. She did not achieve this significant feat by simply being good at football. She had trust put in her.
From the moment Tony Gustavsson brought Hunt into the Matildas squad, it was clear that he had faith in her. This was followed by an incredible debut, and a consistent starting spot ever since.
Jocelyn Prêcheur has not given Hunt that same opportunity for stardom. She was thrown in the deep end, her first appearance being as an injury substitute in Paris Saint-Germain’s all-important UEFA Women’s Champions League clash against Manchester United.
Hunt started off undeniably rough. But she built her confidence back up and held strong even as the home side attempted to exploit her inexperience. She used her strength and skill to retain possession with the likes of Geyse and Lucia Garcia up against her. As the game went on and PSG’s defensive line improved communication, Hunt grew into her role. As a player with excellent distribution, she became PSG’s go-to player to marshal the game. Her impact was clear, marking players out of the game for periods, consciously keeping opponents offside, and sending her attackers near-perfect through balls.
PSG need to play her, whether it be in league or cup games, or both. The 24-year old Australian has the ability to give 110% for 90 minutes, week in, week out. For Hunt to avoid mistakes and cement herself as a reliable defender, she needs to be given that chance. She has proven that she can go toe-to-toe with the worlds’ best and come out on top. She can surely replicate her international form for the French giants.
As was displayed for Australia in the past year, Hunt’s ability to strengthen a side is not to be ignored. She is the future of Australia’s defence, and if PSG play their cards right, she could be the future of theirs, too.
Follow Impetus on social media – we’re @ImpetusFootball on Threads, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. DON’T MISS our brand new TikTok platform @ImpetusFootball too!
impetusfootball.org 