Season › 2012-13 › News Hitzlsperger signed until January Michael Kenrick , 19 October, 38comments | Jump to most recent Short-term deal for German free agent Everton have finally signed Thomas Hitzlsperger on a short-term contract after a four-week trial with the club. The former German international midfielder's deal runs until January, though he is unlikely to be pitched straight into action even if he is eligible for Sunday's trip to QPR. The Blues completed the paperwork before today's midday deadline, so the 30-year-old would be eligible to be included in the squad for Loftus Road if international clearance is granted by Fifa. David Moyes mentioned in his pre-match press-conference, however, that with the player's fitness not yet at optimum levels following his recovery from injury, it's unlikely he will get much first-team playing time in the early going. "What we're going to do is see how he is first," Moyes told reporters today. "We're not saying what he's going to bring to us — he may even come here and not play. We just want a longer period to have a look at him, make sure he's fit and see if he can offer us something. "We're short on midfield players so we could do with another, but I couldn't turn around right now and say he's ready to play in the Premier League," the manager continued. "But he's trained for four weeks — the equivalent of doing a pre-season and he's been a good lad to have around the place, so we're more than happy to give him that opportunity. "He's missed about eight months of football, so we'll give him a go. This two months where we have him on a short contract means we can have a longer look and get him involved when we can and where we need to to see a bit more. I think January would be a better time for us to decide whether we were going to continue his contract until the end of the season or extend it even longer." Hitzlsperger, who had spells in the Premier League with Aston Villa and West Ham as well as with Lazio, Stuttgart and Wolfsburg, played as an over-aged player in a recent outing for Everton's Under-21s at Norwich. He has been handed the no.16 jersey, last work by Jermaine Beckford two seasons ago. Quotes or other material sourced from EvertonFC.com Reader Comments (38) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer Al Reddish 1 Posted 19/10/2012 at 13:03:54 The HAMMER has signed til Jan. Viv Sharma 2 Posted 19/10/2012 at 13:38:08 So we have signed Hitzlsperger till January. It's like a new signing... :) Patrick Murphy 3 Posted 19/10/2012 at 14:44:03 Why wait till Friday morning to sign the German lad? With Fellaini and Gibson missing Sunday's trip to QPR and probably neither starting in next week's derby game, why didn't we act sooner? I fear that Gibson and more likely Fellaini will be missing for a few weeks yet. Tony J Williams 4 Posted 19/10/2012 at 15:16:03 Doesn't matter when we signed him Patrick, he is eligible for Sunday's game if needs be. Thomas Windsor 5 Posted 19/10/2012 at 15:39:56 30's not old – he has been a good player. Let's hope he still has something to offer. James Morgan 6 Posted 19/10/2012 at 15:48:31 Nothing to lose really, need a midfielder. Could be useful. Mike Gaynes 7 Posted 19/10/2012 at 16:00:23 What a quality player and quality guy Der Hammer is... great to have him with us. Obviously his knee is sound... and just as obviously Moyes doesn't consider him nearly game-fit yet. My hunch is that he's going to be very important to us before the season is over because both Gibbo and Fellaini have a tendency towards injury. I hope he gets a bunch of reserve games in the next couple of months, because I'm guessing we'll see a lot of him in the New Year. And I definitely hope he sticks around long enough to get interviewed on TV. Wait until you guys hear his accent. It's a mix of German and Birmingham from his time with Villa, and it's pretty damn funny. Brian Cleveland 8 Posted 19/10/2012 at 16:01:30 Patrick, I don't think you read it all. Moyes has clearly said he's not ready, he's been out 8 months, so he's unlikely to figure much any time soon.... it's to get a chance of a longer look at him.I would guess he's probably on a pretty miserly contract given that Moyes is not expecting him to feature much, with the promise that if he can get fitter and maybe get onto the pitch and do something in the next two months there will be a better deal for him come January if convenient for all.As James said, nothing to lose, and for me I think a good move by Moyes to just take him short term to see how things pan out. Michael Kenrick 9 Posted 19/10/2012 at 16:17:02 Sorry, Patrick, I added the Moyes comments from a later story that went up on the OS. They do explain a little more his ultra-cautious approach but, despite these words, I won't be surprised to Hitz sitting on the bench Sunday... probably for the whole game. With no intention of him playing. Andrew Ellams 10 Posted 19/10/2012 at 16:31:01 Mike, he'll have to sign a new contract if we are going to see a lot of him in the new year as this one runs out in January.My guess is that he is a fill in until the club hopefully signs Odidje-Ofoe when the window reopens. Brian Cleveland 11 Posted 19/10/2012 at 16:49:01 Andrew, good point, I'd forgotten about him! Mike Gaynes 12 Posted 19/10/2012 at 16:53:03 Andrew, I was implying that if he got game-fit he'd be re-signed to an extended contract in January. That's the read I got from Moyes's comment.As for Odidja-Ofoe, he's still pure speculation until he actually arrives. Until then, I don't figure him in. Julian Wait 13 Posted 19/10/2012 at 17:35:43 Have we ever had a German player before? Peter Thistle 14 Posted 19/10/2012 at 17:41:25 Nope. James Thomas 15 Posted 19/10/2012 at 17:49:55 Ahem. Shkrodan Mustafi is German. Julian Wait 16 Posted 19/10/2012 at 18:09:48 He never played for us though? Julian Wait 17 Posted 19/10/2012 at 18:11:56 Retract ... From TW: "made his senior debut for Everton versus BATE Borisov in December 2009 in the Europa League, coming on as a substitute for Tony Hibbert. He was an unused sub in five other games that first season."I guess it counts, just ... Julian Wait 18 Posted 19/10/2012 at 18:12:35 And Wikipedia needs updating! Paul Ellam 19 Posted 19/10/2012 at 18:19:44 Got to say – I'm unsure.He will provide cover but I am not convinced as to how good he will be. I wish him well and hope he does the business for us but the jury is still out on him I think.I would guess he is just here til we (hopefully) sign Odidje-Ofoe in January but if he does prove himself then I would be happy to have him. I would prefer Lewis Holtby though! Chris Jones [Burton] 20 Posted 19/10/2012 at 18:42:13 Sounds OK to me....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzGgZVzwBqY Matthew Rigby 21 Posted 19/10/2012 at 18:45:38 Julian, He's our second German, after Stefan Wessels played for us In 2007 against Man Utd, Villa and Sheff Weds, when Howard was injurred... Ryan Holroyd 22 Posted 19/10/2012 at 18:47:32 Who can forget Stefan Wessels? Well Peter Thistle obviously! David Nicholls 23 Posted 19/10/2012 at 18:47:06 I think that reserve keeper Stefan Wessels was German and he turned out a couple of times.I'm personally pleased we have signed him. He's got decent pedigree and if he is over his injury woes then he might have a couple of really good years left in him.I cannot see any negatives with this one. Paul Ellam 24 Posted 19/10/2012 at 21:05:51 Stefan Wessels? I always thought that was James Blunt! Jamie Tulacz 25 Posted 19/10/2012 at 23:26:53 Clearly a good player to get so many caps for Germany but not fit yet. Let's hope he does get fit as would be a great addition to the squad- though we probably can't expect much for a while. Michael- could you expand on your point about him getting on the bench but not playing. I see a few players on the bench most games who I don't expect to come on as subs whatever the occasion, so don't quite see why they're there. Is it just lack of resources hence filling up the bench? Andy Crooks 26 Posted 20/10/2012 at 01:09:37 At worst, he'll be another Senderos type of waste of money. At best Moyes's own Peter Reid. I have a good feeling about this. Christopher Kelly 27 Posted 20/10/2012 at 01:11:11 We're thin so any warm body helps. Would prefer to have a real game changer obviously like the Belgian Bloke..Don't have a good feeling about him coming though. I hate missing out on a guy like that because now the bigger boys will get a sniff and we all know how that "normally" goes (ex. Mirallas) Christopher Kelly 28 Posted 20/10/2012 at 01:17:26 (ex) = exception in this case I guess Roger Sunde 29 Posted 20/10/2012 at 05:38:06 Back up for the back up Kevin Day 30 Posted 20/10/2012 at 08:29:45 I see this situation with hitz as shrewd business, the guy knows the time is ticking, he has until January to prove himself, so I'd imagine he will be training his socks off and if given game time he will have something to prove, in the hope of extending the contract. Also, you do not win 56 German caps for nothing. Norman Merrill 31 Posted 20/10/2012 at 10:00:10 I just hope the player settles in and earns his chance, he is a international, and does have skill.He is strong, and hopefully will earn a place, as a regular or as cover, and as he showed at Villa & West Ham knows how to finish.With such a small squad, he may turn out a real bonus. Mark Tanton 32 Posted 20/10/2012 at 12:16:15 30 years old, experienced and well capped international. Even considering his injuries, this could be a good signing. He could still be with us in three years. Jimmy Sørheim 33 Posted 20/10/2012 at 14:45:09 I think Junior is ahead of Hitzlsperger, so if anyone is to come in and take over in midfield right now, it would have to be Junior. Hitz has no fitness in him right now so at best he will come on as a second-half sub at some time.Regarding the QPR game, I feel our midfield now is a big gaping hole for the opposition to step right through. Neville and Osman do not cut it, Moyes will have to change formation – perhaps he will revert to a straight 4-5-1, that seems to be the smartest thing right now with both Fellaini and Gibson being out injured.I think Oveido should start at the left with Pienaar moving beside him so they can switch around and combine with Baines. The rest of the midfield should be Osman, Junior and Mirallas playing as a right winger.Anyway, I am excited about what Moyes plans to do, I hope that he drops Neville back to right back as Coleman has been poor really, we need Neville the most right there at right back, not in midfield. Neville is a wasted body in midfield, he simply is not made to be a midfielder.Will Barkley have come back for the QPR game or what? Could sure use the lad right now, because between, Junior and Barkley, I think Barkley might be ahead in match sharpness. Mark Tanton 34 Posted 20/10/2012 at 16:35:28 Barkley played last night so I don't think he'll be too up for turning out again in a different shirt! Mike Powell 35 Posted 20/10/2012 at 17:30:43 Barkley will get nowhere near our first team after watching him last night — he kept giving the ball away! As for Hitzlsperger I can not really comment on him till I see him play... Ged Simpson 36 Posted 20/10/2012 at 19:04:37 I have a feeling that this will be a great signing. An very experienced midfielder with a cool head who can scrap a bit will be needed in the mid winter months when we are fighting to stay in top 4 and carry some injuries. I also have a sense that at some day - possibly a rainy night in Reading or something - that he will score a screamer from 30 yards. I love the idea that we can now ponder on a german midfielder with 56 caps (and you can bet his fitness has been well tested) whilst all the RS can do is say they can buy a striker in Jan. Happy days lads and lasses. Peter Thistle 37 Posted 21/10/2012 at 02:32:37 Oops, guess I forgot those obscure mofo's that played 5 minutes for us :) Douglas Turner 38 Posted 21/10/2012 at 15:13:51 I'm a bit concerned with Moyes's lack of enthusiasm over Hammer's signing! I know he's been out of the game for 8 months but he's had almost a month's training with us! And why didn't we opt for a few more free agents to cover CM! Hopefully it's a sign that we may get Odidje-Ofoe in the January window! As the saying goes, live in hope.... Add Your Comments In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site. » Log in now Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site. About these ads