Other young Germans go to England for a few weeks as part of a school exchance programme, but not Thomas Hitzlsperger. Aged just 18, the Bavarian packed his bags in 2000 to join Premier League club Aston Villa FC.
The midfielder made his mark at the Birmingham club, playing 99 league games in five seasons and scoring eight goals in the process. Some trademark shots with his strong left foot earned him the nickname “The Hammer”.
His impressive performances didn't go unnoticed in Germany, and then Germany coach Jürgen Klinsmann rewarded him with a first call-up to the national team in October 2004.
In the summer of 2005 “Hitz” joined Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart, where he has been appointed as captain since.
bundesliga.de presents some interesting facts about Hitzlsperger.
Car salesman
Hitzlsperger certainly knows how to get a laugh at a team-mate's expense. Last season he advertised the Audi R8 of Raphael Schäfer in an internet shop for second-hand cars — without Schäfer's knowledge, of course. He also publicised Schäfer's phone number, and the goalkeeper had to ask for a new one to protect his privacy.
No chance for Nazis
Being a professional in England, he knows how it feels to be a foreigner. “I was surprised how strong Nazis still influence Germany's image abroad. I had to convince a lot of people”, Hitzlsperger remembers. Nowadays the midfielder blogs regularly at “Störungsmelder”, an internet blog where celebrities call attention to right-wing extremism and racism.
Advisor
Hitzlsperger was invited to the Royal Box when Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer in Wimbledon on July 6, 2008. Earlier he met London Mayor Boris Johnson for lunch, and Johnson had a lot of questions. “He wanted to know why the English national team isn't successful. I laughed and tried to explain it. He made a lot of notes, and it will be interesting to see what he does with them”, Hitzlsperger recalls.
Extended family
Hitzlsperger was born in Munich on April 5th, 1982 as son of Ludwig and Anneliese Hitzlsperger. He's the youngest of seven children and grew up in Wagmühle, a district of Forstinning. He has five brothers and one sister. He started his football career at VfB Forstinning, then joined FC Bayern München at the age of seven. The record champions thought he wouldn't make the grade, however, and allowed him to join Aston Villa.
Farm? No, thanks!
The family always comes first for Hitzlsperger, but he doesn't want to take over his parents' farm. “I can't even milk a cow.” Still he lends a hand when he's around and has the time. Offloading hay can be fun, if you believe him, but only because he knows that “I'll be gone again in a few days.”
Balti
A lot of emigrants from the Pakistani region Mirpur are living in Birmingham, and they have brought their local food with them, the so-called “Balti”. It's an easy and hot Curry dish that's very popular in Birmingham. Hitzlsperger got to know it during his time in England and still likes to eat in whenever he's in Birmingham, because “the Indian food over here in Germany is worse, unfortunately.”
On the bench
The Bundesliga match against Arminia Bielefeld last weekend saw Hitzlsperger on the bench for 90 minutes — the first time during his time with Stuttgart as coach Armin Veh rested his captain. No problem for Hitzlsperger, however. “The coach explained why he let me out before the match, and that's okay for me. I don't want to put my personal fate in the spotlight, because I hope we can concentrate on the team instead.”
Honours
Aged just 26, Hitzlsperger's best days out on the park may yet be to come, but he has already won a few things. The most important achievement surely was the 2007 Bundesliga title with VfB Stuttgart. He reached the final with Germany at the EURO 2008 and came third at the 2006 World Cup. Additionally he was voted “Footballer of the month” in both April and November 2007.
The perfect Sunday
Football professionals don't have every Sunday off, but if Hitzlsperger has, that's what it may look like. Sleep late, then an extensive breakfast. Afterwards it's reading a newspaper, and watching football on TV will certainly be on the agenda, too. Dinner will be followed by a good book or something on TV, and then it's time to go to bed. Good night!
Compiled by Denis Huber / Translated by Christof Greiner
More about Thomas Hitzlsperger in this week's edition of “GOAL! The Bundesliga magazine”!
Hitzlsperger ruled out
Stuttgart leave it late
Stuttgart confident despite loss