She's worn the silver fern over 150 times to date in her career, 117 "A" caps and 20 internationals for the Junior Ferns making up the lion's share of that tally. But if you think Ria Percival takes her position for granted in the Football Ferns' squad, think again. She's always striving to better herself, the latest evidence of which is her decision to conclude her time in Germany, as she outlines below. JR:     Ria Percival, you've just switched clubs from USV Jena in Germany to FC Basel in Switzerland. How'd that move come about? RP:     "For me, I just wanted a change of scenery and a change of league. I've been five years in Germany, and just felt it was time for a new club and a new country. So it came down to my looking at other clubs and what opportunities I had available to me". JR:     Did 'Hoyley' (Katie Duncan) have any influence on your final decision, given she's at FC Zurich? RP:     "Not really, with FC Basel and FC Zurich being rival clubs, but she definitely helped with telling me about the league in general, to get my ideas up and decide where I was going to go.      "I join up with them straight after the Olympics. They'll have already started the league, so I'll miss the first few games". JR:     What's been the most memorable experience of your time in Germany? RP:     "For me, one of my first seasons in Germany, after the 2011 Women's World Cup, was playing for FFC Frankfurt, playing in the Champions League and in the UEFA Women's Champions League Final. They would be my biggest memories". JR:     Looking ahead to your more immediate assignment, how have preparations gone for you

personally? RP:     "I'm feeling pretty good coming in. I'm one of the senior players now - it's my third Olympics - so I'm feeling at my peak and ready to take on all the big teams and push for a medal at these Olympics". JR:     What does it mean to you, and how special is it, to be an Olympian? RP:     "It's the experience of it. You're an Olympian. It's a lifetime goal which any athlete in New Zealand wants to reach. To go for the third time, for me, means appreciating every moment and making the most of it. Also, being around other Olympians from our country makes it really special". JR:     Does being away from the Olympic Village - given you'll be in Belo Horizonte and Salvador, rather than Rio de Janeiro - affect your involvement / feeling part of the New Zealand Olympic squad in any way, shape or form? RP:     "I wouldn't say so. At the last Olympics, we managed to get into the village before the events, and it will be the same again this year - I think we'll spend about six days in there before the Games start.      "Being around early on, to get a feel for the village, look around it and meet other athletes is not really a big thing that's a concern, but it's having the involvement and visiting beforehand which is kind of cool". JR:     USA, Colombia, France, your opponents in the group. Three wins? RP:     "Definitely! We're pushing for wins in all the games, and I think to have the USA first is obviously a big challenge for us, but one we're tackling head-on. Then it's a case of looking forward past the first game, and seeing how we go after that".