Hunt waves farewell

Unlike at Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Mönchengladbach, as both clubs said their thanks to departing players, there were no tears at Bremen - just a mutual appreciation.

Aaron Hunt has played his last home match for Werder Bremen, bringing an end to a 13-year association with the club, as he ponders his next move in football. His next destination remains unknown, however, despite interest from Turkish SüperLig side Besiktas and several other Bundesliga clubs.

Hunt scored both goals in Werder Bremen's 2-0 win over Hertha Berlin - a fitting conclusion to a loyal career with the club. He took the acclaim at the end of the match and joined the Ostkurve in a traditional showing of appreciation towards a particular player.

Hunt's career, however, has been less than rosy on the banks of the River Weser. The midfielder has been a divisive figure among the Bremen legions: for long spells, his value was under-appreciated when surrounded by more prominent players.

But with the club increasingly finding itself in the doldrums - to the point of having to battle against relegation - Hunt's reputation grew quickly when others around him shirked the responsibility of playing for a well-supported team.

High-hopes for a talented youngster

One man who did appreciate him was Bremen's longest-serving head coach, Thomas Schaaf. He saw the rough edges in Hunt's game and his off-field personality, even making him the youngest debutant (at 17) in Schaaf's tenure with the club.

As a teenager, he burst on to the first-team stage, blessed with intermittent flashes of brilliance and with the traits of an attacker that Schaaf had come to love in his time at Werder. He became the club's youngest ever goalscorer in his first starting appearance in the Bundesliga, against Borussia Mönchengladbach.

But the competition from Diego, Marko Marin and Mesut Özil for the pivotal Zehner - No.10 - role in Schaaf's trusted formation forced Hunt to earn his stripes as either a centre-forward or winger.

Dealing with Hunt's personality

There are similarities between the 27-year-old and Bayern Munich's Bastian Schweinsteiger, both of whom debuted in the same period. Two German internationals, with technique, pace and strong attacking qualities, had long-term aspirations to be at the fulcrum of their respective team.

Hunt, like Schweinsteiger, was shadowed by misdemeanors from his early days in Bremen's first-team, and therefore, was regarded as lacking the maturity or temperament to hold down a consistent role as the central playmaker.

Back in 2005 when Hunt was 18 years of age, three criminal complaints were lodged against him following an "excessive celebration" in a Bremen nightclub. Three years later, following a UEFA Cup defeat in Glasgow, Hunt was involved in a confrontation with Brazilian player Diego and both players were fined the same sum.

In May 2010, at the end of Hunt's first consistent campaign in the first-team, he was at the centre of a UEFA investigation after allegations of racism from England opponents in an U-21 UEFA European Championship qualifier.

Less than a week later, he was preparing to join the full German national team for the first time. This, in a nutshell, can highlight the fragility of dealing with Hunt in his development years. His talent, though, was never in question.

"Aaron is the next one who can be in the national team," Schaaf said in 2009. Hunt became part of a stunning attacking-trident alongside Marin and Özil, recovering from a number of early injury setbacks ahead of season 2009-10 and discovering his best vein of form in a green shirt.

Leading from the front

That was the season in which Hunt scored nine goals in the Bundesliga, as a regular - and versatile - part of the team, while also leading the club to the UEFA Europa League semifinal and the German Cup final, where they lost 4-0 to Bayern Munich.

Soon, however, his form would be upset by injuries that prevented the midfielder establishing momentum at a time when Werder's squad was being decimated.

Only in recent adversity has Hunt regained the self-confidence and brashness in his character that perfectly complemented his talented, but tenacious midfield style. Dutt has taken more advantage of Hunt's versatility in midfield, deploying the German in a more box-to-box role. Even still, he's managed to muster seven goals and eight assists this season.

Maybe the biggest illustration of how Hunt has matured in Bremen was in 2014 when he asked the referee to overturn a penalty decision after going down in the box without contact. It's a small token of fair play, but exceptional in the circumstances of Werder battling to secure their Bundesliga position.

Bremen may have become accustomed to losing their best players over the years, some of whom possess an international pedigree. However, finding a suitable replacement for Aaron Hunt - a talisman with no fear of bearing responsibility - could be an unenviable challenge.