Hingst at W-League launch | TWG Hingst at W-League launch | TWG

Winning a World Cup is a privilege and honour that not all the great players in the game can achieve. Just ask Marta and Abby Wambach to name a few. German defender Ariane Hingst has not one but two World titles, plus a long list of other achievements, to her name.

Having retired from international football earlier this year, the 32 year old has now hit Australian shores to suit up for the Newcastle Jets and maybe add a W-League title to an already bulging trophy cabinet. Ahead of her first match this weekend, we spoke with Hingst about Australia and all things football.

Ariane, welcome to Australia. What are your thoughts so far?

I had a really warm welcome and it's really good first impressions. I’m really lucky to be here.

Tell us how the move to Australia came about?

I had this idea pop up, I dunno, maybe two or one and a half years ago. "Okay I really want to play in another country again and Australia would be really great. I know they have a league running and maybe I’ll have the opportunity to just play there." So during the World Cup I got in contact with Lisa De Vanna and just told her about my idea and get in contact with other players.

Then when I was on vacation for a scuba diving trip on a boat, I didn’t have any single connection at all and I get emails from example Newcastle; Lisa writing me and just saying, “Ok, you want to play in Australia? Let’s make this happen” and then everything went quite fast with Newcastle so that’s why I got here.

Why the Newcastle Jets?

I guess they were one of the first clubs to contact me. Cheryl Salisbury, she got informed and she was talking to Newcastle then Clayton Zane he just wrote me an email saying “Ok you want to come to Australia, we’d like to have you here on our team”. So I got in contact with them and also another club but this worked out really good and they did a good offer for me and it’s ok, it’s fine.

Had you heard anything about the W-League or did you have any information before you came here?

It's actually really hard to get good information about the Australian league. I went online but there wasn't too much I could read about it. I knew about the different teams that they had but everything you could read was just in the past.

So I tried to get as much information as I could but I hope to just learn more about it. I am just going to see how strong the league is going to be and it is going to be really exciting for me.

In preparation did you watch any Australian games during the World Cup?

[Laughs] Aaah, no. But we were so full during the World Cup. Our schedule was really tough and we could hardly see any other matches. We had training in the evenings when other matches were taking place so unfortunately I didn't see too many games. But I know the Australian teams, I have played them a couple of times. Just one year ago they were in Germany so I know a couple of the girls. The rest I will get to know soon I think.

You retired from international football at the end of the last World Cup in Germany. Tell us how it was like to play such a big tournament in your home country?

It was the best experience ever! It was a dream come true for all of our players once we knew the World Cup was going to take place in Germany. All of us were like "We want to be a part of that team."

We never thought it was going to be such a big thing. We thought it would be big but it was just enormous, phenomenal and I enjoyed every moment of it. Even though on the field it didn’t finish too good and unfortunately we couldn’t play at our highest level but overall it was just a great experience.

You bring all of that breadth of experience to Australia and to a younger Jets team.   What other things can you bring to the club?

First of all its not only to bring but to take as well. I am also going to learn about Australia and the Australian way of playing soccer. I think you can never be too old to learn so I think it is a give and take.

Obviously I have always been a player who talks on the field. So I will try to guide them on the field and I hope they can learn from me. It's going to be exciting. We have real mix of older players and young players in our team.

What are you anticipating about this experience?

It’s a different type of style maybe. Every country has a different type of style to play soccer and just to see how the German style fits in. To see what I can bring into the team, this is what I am excited about.

You will get the chance to travel and see Australia. Anything you are looking forward to seeing?

First of all my first goal is to play soccer and at the highest level possible. I obviously want to win the championship as I always want to win and I think we can do that. But beside that, I hope to have some time to travel around a bit. Lisa De Vanna she already told me "Okay be prepared I am going to show you a lot of Australia".

I have been here in 2000 for the Olympics so I want to go back there and see if I can recognise anything like the Olympic Village for example or the Olympic Stadium. I love scuba diving so of course if you are in Australia you have to go to the Great Barrier Reef I think.

These are things I can think about after the season. During the season I don't think I will have too much time!