Wendie Renard is one of the world’s best defenders and the heartbeat of this France side.Credit:Getty
With Lyon,Renard has won the French league title 15 times,the UEFA Champions League eight times,and has been named in FIFPro’s World XI on seven occasions. She is an icon of women’s football,a rare one-club player,the heartbeat of Les Bleues,a passionate firebrand who somehow also stays cool,calm and collected at all times - and Hunt wanted nothing more than to be just like her.
“For me personally,Wendie Renard was a role model,” she said. “I saw her composure at a young age and wanted to emulate that in some way. I feel like I know the way that Wendie plays,because I used to watch her as a kid.
“She’s an amazing athlete,centre-back,leader. I think she’s exceptionally good on the ball. She’s a very good defender in terms of her positioning. In terms of how to deal with that,for us,we’ve just got to play to our strengths and we recognise that she is going to be difficult to get around.”
There is more than a bit of Renard in the way Hunt goes about her football,but the challenge before her on Saturday night is to humble her hero and stop her from claiming the one thing that has always eluded her - a major trophy with France,her beloved national team.
Clare Hunt is living her dream - and now facing the prospect of marking her hero.Credit:Getty
Renard was the ringleader ofa player revolt that led to the sacking of coach Corinne Diacre earlier this year,alleging her methods were holding them back from success at the highest level,and ruling herself out of selection until there was a change – which there was,with the appointment of Herve Renard (no relation).
“I love France more than anything,I am not perfect,far from it,but I can no longer support the current system,” she wrote on social media. “My face may hide the pain,but my heart is suffering … and I don’t want to suffer any more.”