In the Premier League there have been thousands of players who have come and gone, plenty who have come and gone without a memory or a legacy to their name. However there have been a group of players that have lit up England’s top division and will be remembered forever and a day. One player who I believe can put himself in that group is Thomas Hitzlsperger.
‘Der Hammer’ as he came to be known by the fans of Aston Villa for his left foot thunderbolts, had four great seasons at Villa Park with eight goals each one as memorable as the other, the volley against Portsmouth, the volley against Bolton and the half-volley against rivals Birmingham City to name but a few.
He was a fantastic midfielder full of creativity and it was no wonder he became such a fan favourite at the Villains. So it was fantastic news when it was announced last summer that West Ham United were bringing back the former Germany international to see him make an impact in the Premiership again. Though Hitzlsperger didn’t make as many appearances as he or the Hammers fans would have liked during last season due to an awful leg muscle injury that put him out for four months, but the 11 league appearances he did make were at his best and his 2 goals were vital to the cause especially the one in May against Blackburn Rovers who were in relegation trouble themselves, unleashing a trademark 25-yard drive into the bottom corner with 12 minutes from time that got Avram Grant’s side a vital point in the battle from the drop.
However, for all his help he couldn’t stop West Ham from being relegated and the midfielder saw his reported £45,000 a week contract terminated as the club looked to ease the financial burden of dropping in to the Championship.
So this fantastic player was up for grabs this summer for Premier League clubs and it was no surprise that it was confirmed Wolverhampton Wanderers had held talks with him. However nothing came of the talks and the other day he signed for Bundesliga side Wolfsburg on a three-year deal.
But what I can’t understand is why Wanderers didn’t follow up those talks or why another Premiership club didn’t come in for him. His passion and creativity is a massive plus for any starting 11 and he has shown he can help clubs win things as he did with German side Stuttgart with the Bundersliga title in the 2006/07 season. He has had injury problems and I guess the high wage demands would have also been a deterrence for a lot of sides but surely a return to Aston Villa would have been a possibility. He has said in the past that he would like to return at some point and with new boss Alex McLeish losing Ashley Young and Stuart Downing with Charles N’Zogbia brought in to replace one of them, it would have been hugely beneficial to bring back the favourite to mask over the disappointment of the club’s top two wingers leaving Villa.
It is a real shame and I do hope Thomas Hitzlsperger does grace the Premier League once more before his career comes to a close. But the divisions loss is Wolfsburg gain.
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Agreed. At least 10 or more teams would have been better with him.