Bremen’s local lad Aaron Hunt: "Excited for every training session"

[bild1]Aaron Hunt has played for SV Werder Bremen since he was a boy, and is the club’s youngest-ever Bundesliga goalscorer. The Goslar-born midfielder took time out to speak to DFB.de about his first steps with the notherners, the people who have influenced his career and the current footballing climate in Bremen.

DFB.de: Mr. Hunt, how well do you remember your first game in the A-Junior Bundesliga for SV Werder Bremen, against VfL Osnabrück on 30 August 2003?

Aaron Hunt: I definitely remember scoring a good goal early on in that team, maybe even in my first game.

DFB.de: Indeed you did. In fact you managed a hat-trick in a 5-2 win in your first game, five days before your 17th birthday. It was quite a way to make your debut for the U-19s. Did you have a party to celebrate it?

Hunt: No, not at all. Back then I was already a pretty quiet guy. I was also completely focused on making it as a professional.

DFB.de: Before the introduction of the A-Junior Bundesliga, there was only a regional championship at that age level, with Werder up against other teams from the north-east of Germany. What do you think changed the most when you began playing at A-Junior level?

Hunt: The league became more interesting for everyone. With all due respect to clubs like TSV Havelse or SC Vier- und Marschlande, playing them just wasn’t the same as playing against clubs like Hertha BSC or Hansa Rostock. So when we played those matches, we looked forward to them that little bit more. It meant we were challenged more and more every week, and we couldn’t just keep winning games by big margins. It was definitely a positive development for German youth football.

DFB.de: What is the main thought that springs to mind when you think back to your time in the A-Juniors?

Hunt: I like looking back on those days. Werder was a happy place to be and there wasn’t the type of pressure that you now see every day with the first team. I played with a lot of friends and some of those friendships are still strong today, with guys like René Grothus, who’s now working at Fortuna Düsseldorf, or Jerome Polenz, who’s playing in Australia with Western Sydney Wanderers.

DFB.de: Who gave you the biggest motivation?

Hunt: I’d definitely say our scout Bernd Pfeifer. He was the one who first brought me to Bremen, he was my first coach in the U-17s team and he really supported me. I also really enjoyed being in the U-19s under Joachim Philipkowski. He was a really likeable guy and his training sessions were a lot of fun. I really learned a lot from him. And finally there’s Thomas Schaaf, who gave me my first-team debut and made me a regular when I was 18.

DFB.de: Your home town is Goslar, almost 200km from Bremen. In your day, there was no certified performance academy in the area, so how was it you came to play for Werder?

Hunt: Werder were already a very progressive club at the time, with a boarding school and everything. I moved in there when I was 14. After I’d had a trial, I supposed everything must have happened really fast, basically in the space of a few days.

DFB.de: Would you have dreamed of playing for Werder’s senior team and even the German national team back then?

Hunt: Who doesn’t dream of being a professional when you’re a kid? When I moved to Werder, that dream got a little bit closer. It’s even more pleasing that it all eventually worked out.

DFB.de: In terms of how young players are coached today, where do you see the biggest differences?

Hunt: Promotion of youth is without a doubt a little bit better than when I was a youngster, and there’s been a big improvement in the past six or seven years, not just in Bremen but throughout the country. It’s not a fluke that so many young players are making it to the top every year.

DFB.de: Almost 13 years on, you are now a focal point in the team and a key role model for the younger players. How close is the contact between the senior squad and the youth teams?

Hunt: It’s even stronger than it was before, as our coach Robin Dutt really places a lot of emphasis on that, including inviting the younger payers to the first-team training ground. That way they become more acquainted with the professional side of things more quickly. We also check out the youth-team players from time to time; I recently watched the U-23s play against my old club Goslarer SC.

DFB.de: What advice would you give to a young player looking to make his dream a reality? What pre-requisites to they need to fulfil?

Hunt: In my opinion, the most important thing is to have fun. That was how it was for me: I was excited for every training session and I always looked forward to the games. You need talent as well, and especially the ambition to always want to improve yourself and achieve your goals.

DFB.de: You have been at Werder since July 2001 and in that time there have only been two first-team coaches: Thomas Schaaf and Robin Dutt. What do you think it is that makes this club stand out?

Hunt: In that time we’ve also only had two sporting directors, Klaus Allofs and Thomas Eichin. That’s something very unique in the Bundesliga. This club stands for continuity and it’s a very friendly place, even if our current situation is difficult for all of us.

DFB.de: In February 2005 you scored your first Bundesliga goal at the age of 18 years and five months in a 2-0 win at Borussia Moenchengladbach, and you are still the youngest scorer in the club’s history. Does that make you proud?

Hunt: Absolutely, I’m delighted to have my own place in the club’s history. But I’d have no problem at all with someone younger than I was scoring his first Bundesliga goal and winning us three points.

DFB.de: You missed out on a national title with Bremen as a youth player, but then you won the DFB Cup in 2009. Is that the highlight of your career so far?

Hunt: Yes, but I’d also include in there the 2009 UEFA Cup final against Shakhtar Donetsk and the 2010 DFB Cup final against Bayern, even though we lost them both. They were all unique experiences and something that every player dreams of.

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DFB.de: In the past few seasons, Bremen have struggled somewhat to keep pace at the top of the Bundesliga, and this season has not quite gone according to plan – instead of chasing a European place, you are now nearer the relegation zone. Why is that the case?

Hunt: We knew this season would be a difficult one; Robin Dutt didn’t call it a year of transition for nothing. We lost some important players in the summer like Sokratis [Papastathopoulos] or Kevin de Bruyne, and at the moment we’re not in a position to replace those types of players with high-quality new arrivals. The club has outlined its vision to blood more young talent, and so you just have to deal with setbacks along the way.

DFB.de: Do you think Werder will struggle this year?

Hunt: I don’t believe so, in fact I’m sure we‘ll be stronger in the second half of the season.

DFB.de: How do you assess Bremen’s long-term outlook? Can the club compete with the best again?

Hunt: Why not? We have a lot of interesting young players, who will make their mark. I’m only 27 but already I’m the 'oldie' in this team. It might sound a little strange considering where we are now, but there’s something developing here.

DFB.de: You won your third cap for Germany when the national team toured the United States last year. Are you still hopeful of a place in the World Cup squad?

Hunt: To be completely honest, no. I know a lot can happen in football, but really that’s not something that concerns me. The competition for places in my position is massive in the Germany team, and I haven’t quite had the success at club level that would make me stand out a bit more. Right now I’m just focusing on a strong second half of the season with Werder.

DFB.de: Germany are considered one of the favourites to lift the trophy in Brazil. How do you rate their chances of winning a fourth World Cup?

Hunt: I’m definitely confident that the boys can challenge for the title. Our squad has amazing potential. Along with Brazil and maybe another surprise team, I’d put us in the top three of possible winners.

DFB.de: If we come to you personally, your mother is English and your father German. How much British blood flows in those veins?

Hunt: To be honest, not all that much. I was born and raised in Germany and I learned all my football here. German is also without a doubt my first language. We have relatives in England but I feel completely at home in Germany.

DFB.de: Your contract at Bremen is due to expire in the summer, and you have been linked with other clubs, some of them in England. Could you see yourself moving there?

Hunt: At the moment I’m not thinking about a transfer.

DFB.de: When will a decision be made on your future?

Hunt: I think we’ll know by February at the latest what my next step will be.