Thomas Hitzlsperger Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Thomas Hitzlsperger

Hitzlsperger in 2022

Personal information

Full name

Thomas Hitzlsperger

Date of birth

5 April 1982 (age 43)

Place of birth

Munich, West Germany

Height

1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)

Position(s)

Midfielder

Team information

Current team

Hellas Verona (board member)

Youth career

1988–1989

VfB Forstinning

1989–2000

Bayern Munich

2000–2001

Aston Villa

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps

(Gls)

2001–2005

Aston Villa

(8)

2001

→ Chesterfield (loan)

(0)

2005–2010

VfB Stuttgart

125

(20)

2010

Lazio

(1)

2010–2011

West Ham United

(2)

2011–2012

VfL Wolfsburg

(0)

2012–2013

Everton

(0)

Total

259

(31)

International career

2001

Germany U20

(1)

2002–2004

Germany U21

(3)

2004–2010

Germany

(6)

Medal record

FIFA World Cup

Representing Germany
Bronze	2006
UEFA European Championship
Runner-up	2008

*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Thomas Hitzlsperger (born 5 April 1982) is a German football expert and former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder and was known for his powerful left-foot shot. Today, he is a board member at the Serie A club Hellas Verona.

In February 2019, Thomas became the Head of Sport at VfB Stuttgart. He later became the CEO of the club. He left this role in March 2022. In January 2025, he was announced as a board member for Hellas Verona.

As a player, Thomas started his career with Aston Villa in England. He also had a short loan spell at Chesterfield. He then returned to Germany to play for Stuttgart, where his team won the Bundesliga in 2007. In 2010, he joined the Italian team Lazio. Later that year, he moved back to England to play for West Ham United. He also played briefly for Wolfsburg and Everton.

Hitzlsperger also played for the Germany national team. He played 52 games for his country. He was part of the team for the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008. He retired from football in September 2013 due to several injuries.

Playing Career Highlights
International Football
Management and Board Roles
Achievements and Awards
Images for kids
See also

Playing Career Highlights

Early Football Days

Thomas Hitzlsperger started playing football at a young age. He joined the VfB Forstinning youth team in 1988. Later, he moved to the Bayern Munich Junior Team. He left Bayern Munich at the end of the 1999–2000 season.

Time at Aston Villa

After a short try-out with Celtic, Thomas joined Aston Villa in England in August 2000. He made his first appearance for Aston Villa on 13 January 2001. During his time at Aston Villa, he was briefly loaned to Second Division club Chesterfield in the 2001–02 season. He played six games for Chesterfield before returning to Aston Villa.

On 20 April 2002, Thomas scored his first goal for Aston Villa. He became a key player for the team, especially under manager Graham Taylor. On 14 December 2002, he scored a winning goal from 30 yards against rivals West Bromwich Albion. Fans at Villa Park gave him the nickname Der Hammer (The Hammer). This was because of his very powerful left-foot shots from long distances.

Success with Stuttgart

Hitzlsperger celebrates winning the Bundesliga with VfB Stuttgart in 2007

Thomas Hitzlsperger joined VfB Stuttgart in Germany in the summer of 2005. He quickly became a regular player for the team. In his second season, Stuttgart won the Bundesliga title, which is Germany's top football league. Thomas played a big part in this success. He played in 30 out of 34 league matches and scored seven goals.

He scored a very important goal in the final match of the season against Energie Cottbus. This goal helped Stuttgart win the title. On 14 August 2007, he extended his contract with Stuttgart until 2010. In July 2008, he was made the new team captain. However, he was later replaced as captain in December 2009.

Moves to Lazio and West Ham

On 31 January 2010, Thomas moved to Lazio in Italy. He signed a six-month contract. He scored one goal for Lazio in a 3–1 win against Udinese.

Hitzlsperger with West Ham in 2011

In June 2010, Hitzlsperger signed a three-year deal with English club West Ham United. Due to an injury, he did not play his first game for West Ham until 21 February 2011. This was an FA Cup match against Burnley. He scored a "trademark thunderbolt" goal from 25 yards in that game. He scored his first league goal for West Ham on 5 March. At the end of the season, West Ham was moved down to a lower league. Thomas's contract was then ended.

Later Club Career

On 17 August 2011, Thomas signed a three-year deal with Bundesliga club Wolfsburg. He was released by Wolfsburg at the end of that season. He played a total of 131 matches in the Bundesliga for Stuttgart and Wolfsburg, scoring 20 goals.

On 19 October 2012, Hitzlsperger joined Premier League club Everton. He signed a short-term contract until January 2013. He made his debut for Everton as a substitute in a 2–1 win against Sunderland. He later signed an extension to his contract until the end of the season. He was released by Everton at the end of the 2012-13 season.

In September 2013, at the age of 31, Thomas Hitzlsperger announced he was retiring from football. He said it was because of the stress from "many transfers and some injuries." He felt he needed to do something different.

International Football

Hitzlsperger playing for the Germany football team

Thomas Hitzlsperger was the captain of the Germany under-19 team. He also played for the national under-21 side. He was then called up to the senior German national team by coach Jürgen Klinsmann. He played his first game for Germany on 9 October 2004.

He played in the 2005 Confederations Cup and the 2006 World Cup. He scored his first goals for Germany on 6 September 2006. This was in a European Championship qualifying game against San Marino. He scored two goals in Germany's record 13–0 win.

Germany's coach Joachim Löw included Hitzlsperger in his team for the 2008 Euros. Thomas played in all three knockout matches, helping his team reach the final. Germany lost 1–0 to Spain in the final.

Hitzlsperger continued to be a key player in the 2010 World Cup qualifying games. He played in almost every match and scored a goal. However, he was not chosen for Germany's World Cup team in June 2010. His international career ended on 11 August 2010, after playing 52 games for his country.

Management and Board Roles

On 12 February 2019, Thomas Hitzlsperger became the Head of Sport for VfB Stuttgart. He was later promoted to CEO of the club. He left this role in January 2022 to return to working in television.

In January 2025, Thomas was named a board member of the Italian club Hellas Verona. This happened after an American company bought the club. In January 2024, Aston Villa named Hitzlsperger as a member of their Honorary Anniversary Board. This was ahead of the club's 150th anniversary season.