In the Liberty A-League off-season, Claudia Bunge was linked with a move to Europe’s biggest league, but instead she opted to stick around for another season with reigning champions Melbourne Victory. She explained why on Dub Zone.
After starring in the heart of defence en route to winning consecutive Liberty A-League Championships with Victory, Bunge was the subject of reported interest from Women’s Super League sides Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion.
However, after a chat with Victory head coach Jeff Hopkins, the New Zealand international signed on for a third campaign at the club.
In the lead up to her side’s clash with cross-town rivals Melbourne City on Monday afternoon, Bunge was asked about the reported overseas interest by Dub Zone commentator Teo Pellizzeri – and the 23-year-old centre-back explained why she decided to sign on for another year instead.
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“Yeah, I was definitely having a look out there,” Bunge told Dub Zone.
“But at the end of the day, I had a really good chat with Jeff (Hopkins) and I was pretty happy to stay another season and he’s a fantastic coach.
“Obviously playing in the Premier League himself as a centre back, his knowledge as a defender is really useful to me… just the setup at the club and the girls I’ve been playing with over the last couple years was really awesome for me and another reason for me to stay.
I’m really happy I made that decision and looking at next season. I’m not too sure what it holds. But yeah, my focus is with Victory this season.
And if there’s anyone that understands the rigours of playing in English football, it’s Hopkins – who forged an almost two-decade long career featuring for the likes of Fulham, Crystal Palace and Reading.
Since his playing career came to an end, Hopkins has become one of the Liberty A-League’s premier coaches – winning multiple pieces of silverware as both Brisbane Roar and Victory head coach.
Pellizzeri also asked Bunge about working under Hopkins and how difficult it is to move away from being under his tutelage – particularly as part of an ultra-successful side.
“Yeah, you’re exactly right, Teo. He is a fantastic coach,” she said.
“Defensively, he knows his stuff. But I think what he’s really good at is bringing in good people and managing them really well.
“Since he brought me in and a core group of players, a couple years ago. I think we’ve established a really good culture and a really good training environment.
It’s really hard to say no when he tells you to come back. So he’s been fantastic for us as a team and for me individually as well.
As Victory gear up for this Monday’s Melbourne Derby, they will be without the services of one of their most important players – Matildas midfielder Elise Kellond-Knight who ruptured her Achilles tendon late last week.
The injury was the latest in a series of setbacks for the 113-time Matilda, who was rubbed out for effectively the best part of two years due to a series of knee injuries.
Bunge, who is Kellond-Knight’s housemate, spoke about how she’s tracking in the aftermath of her injury, saying she’s in “good spirits” despite yet another devastating blow – which has put her hopes of going to a fourth FIFA Women’s World Cup in serious doubt.
“Yeah, it was an awful thing for ‘KK’ to go through,” she said.
“I live with her. So yeah, I’m spending quite a bit of time with her. She’s in pretty good spirits, despite the circumstances, obviously.
“With the World Cup looming, there’s a lot of uncertainty around that, but she’s been a trooper as she is in every aspect of her life and her mum’s actually down. So she’s just had her surgery and mums here for a bit, which is really nice.
“There’s a big group of us that all live together. So I think that’s been really good for her and yeah, she’s still been in and around the team heaps.
She’s definitely making the most of these unfortunate circumstances. I think she’s enrolled to like ten different uni courses. So she’s keeping busy for sure.
