1. Thomas Hitzlsperger was born on 5 April 1982 and is a German football executive and former professional footballer who played as a midfielder, currently board member at Serie A club Hellas Verona.
32 Facts About Thomas Hitzlsperger
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Thomas Hitzlsperger stepped down from this role in March 2022.
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Thomas Hitzlsperger then had brief spells with Wolfsburg and Everton.
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Thomas Hitzlsperger was recalled by Aston Villa during the second month of the loan spell however, as the Birmingham club had several players injured or suspended.
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Thomas Hitzlsperger moved to Aston Villa first team following the arrival of new manager Graham Taylor.
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Thomas Hitzlsperger later played a significant part in the Aston Villa side that finished sixth under David O'Leary, before falling out of favour the following season.
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Thomas Hitzlsperger left Aston Villa as a fan favourite, and stated that he might return to the club when the opportunity comes.
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Thomas Hitzlsperger gained the nickname during his time at Villa Park, due to his powerful left-foot shot from long-range.
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Thomas Hitzlsperger signed for VfB Stuttgart in the summer of 2005, having left Aston Villa on a Bosman free transfer.
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Thomas Hitzlsperger became a regular for Stuttgart, particularly in his second season in which the team won the Bundesliga title.
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Thomas Hitzlsperger made a large contribution to their success, playing in 30 of the team's 34 league matches and scoring seven times.
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On 14 August 2007, Thomas Hitzlsperger extended his contract until the summer of 2010.
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On 17 August 2011, Thomas Hitzlsperger signed for Bundesliga club Wolfsburg on a three-year deal, after being released by West Ham three months earlier.
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Thomas Hitzlsperger's contract was terminated at the end of the season.
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Thomas Hitzlsperger played for Stuttgart and Wolfsburg 131 matches in the Bundesliga and scored 20 goals in the German top flight.
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On 19 October 2012, Thomas Hitzlsperger joined Premier League club Everton, after a spell on trial with the club, on a short-term contract until January 2013.
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In September 2013, aged 31, Thomas Hitzlsperger announced his retirement from football citing the strain of "many transfers and some injuries".
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Thomas Hitzlsperger captained the Germany under-19 team, and appeared for the national under-21 side.
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Thomas Hitzlsperger appeared at the 2005 Confederations Cup and at the 2006 World Cup, where he failed to make it into Klinsmann's starting eleven, playing just 11 minutes in the third-place play-off against Portugal.
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Thomas Hitzlsperger scored his first international goals on 6 September 2006 in a European Championship qualifying game against San Marino.
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Thomas Hitzlsperger came on as a second-half substitute in the victories over Poland and Austria, but did not feature at all in the surprise defeat to Croatia.
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Thomas Hitzlsperger remained first-choice in 2010 World Cup qualifying, playing in all but one match and scoring a goal, but he missed out on his nation's World Cup squad in June 2010.
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On 12 February 2019, Thomas Hitzlsperger became Head of Sport of VfB Stuttgart.
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Thomas Hitzlsperger was promoted to CEO and resigned in January 2022 to return to his television career.
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Thomas Hitzlsperger, the youngest child of Ludwig and Anneliese Thomas Hitzlsperger, was born in Munich and grew up in Forstinning, alongside his five brothers and one sister.
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Thomas Hitzlsperger has an interest in economics, and while in England studied investment strategies, although he did not complete the course.
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Thomas Hitzlsperger regularly visited the Bank of England to discuss finance with the bank's governor, Mervyn King, a lifelong Aston Villa fan.
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Thomas Hitzlsperger has blogged for Storungsmelder, an anti-racism site that encourages debate about xenophobia and racism in Germany.
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In June 2007, Thomas Hitzlsperger ended his eight-year relationship with his longtime girlfriend, Inga, just one month before they were due to get married.
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Thomas Hitzlsperger took the example of 125 Catholic priests in Germany who decided to come out at once.
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In January 2024, Thomas Hitzlsperger was named by Aston Villa as a member of the Honorary Anniversary Board ahead of the club's 150th anniversary season.
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In March 2024, Thomas Hitzlsperger presented his autobiography, where he speaks about his coming-out and LGBTQ+ activism.