Thomas Hitzlsperger

Thomas Hitzlsperger is a German football player who currently features for the Premier League club Everton. He plays as a central midfielder.

Hitzlsperger developed at the Bayern Munich’s youth academy and moved on a free transfer to English side Aston Villa in 2000. He made his debut for the Villains against Liverpool on January 13, 2001. That was his only match in his first season in the Premier League but in the subsequent years he became an important player of the Aston Villa set-up, featuring in over 95 league matches in his time at Villa Park.

In the summer of 2005 Hitzlsperger was signed by German side VfB Stuttgart on a free transfer. He soon became a regular for Stuttgart and was made captain for the team. In five years for Stuttgart, the German midfielder scored 20 goals in 125 league matches, winning the Bundesliga in 2006-07 and helping his side reach the DFB-Pokal final the same year.

In 2010 Hitzlsperger joined Lazio but failed to crack it in Serie A, leaving for West Ham United in January 2011. Two goals in 11 league matches later, he moved to Wolfsburg for whom he featured in 2011-12. However, he failed to make his mark on his return to the Bundesliga and following the termination of his contract in the summer of 2012, he signed for Everton on a free transfer in October 2012.

Hitzlsperger made his international debut for Germany against Iran in Tehran on October 9, 2004. He played for Germany at the 2005 Confederations Cup and at the 2006 World Cup. He also featured for his nation at Euro 2008 and retired two years later in 2010.