Season › 2012-13 › News Der Hammer is ready to strike Philip Kirkbride, Liverpool Daily Post , 8 March, 6comments | Jump to most recent Thomas Hitzlsperger has only started four games for Everton but insists he is ready to help fire the Blues back to Wembley and says he stays after hours at Finch Farm in order to make sure he remains in peak condition and is always ready if David Moyes calls on him. “There was no way I could come into the club and demand a place in the starting line-up because of the injuries I'd had,” he admitted. “I've enjoyed it here — I've not played an awful lot but everything I was told about the club before I arrived is true. It is a great club and it would be nice if I could stay beyond the end of this season. But who knows what is going to happen? “I'm really happy that I am able to train every single day. My fitness is there. I've played a few games, which I'm pleased about, but I want to play more. Every player wants to play week-in, week-out. But when that doesn't happen the manager says don't show your disappointment on a matchday, show it in training and work hard. I have to show the manager that I'm still here. “I'm certainly fit enough, I'm working hard and when we get days off I come in to do extra training. I am fit enough to start a game. Players get injured, someone may be out of form and so I need to be there and showing the manager that I'm ready. “But now I am fit enough and all I can do is show that to the manager in training. So far he has not seen a reason to change the team but I will still work hard. “I'm a good professional and I will be fighting for my chance until the very last day. I am feeling very good now. I am working closely with the physios everyday. I have to put a lot of effort to stay fit now and invest more time because of my age. “I prepare myself for training and warm down properly afterwards. There is more work involved but I know how good it feels when you are able to train everyday because I have been out for so long. I don't want to have that again so the extra work is worth it. “Most of the players in the squad you will see in the gym. At other clubs through my career that has been less so — they know how important it is, especially when you get older.” Quotes or other material sourced from Liverpool Daily Post Reader Comments (6) 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 Phil Sammon 2 Posted 08/03/2013 at 15:49:24 Hitzlsperger has looked good in the games he started. Initially he seemed off the pace but gradually gained fitness and I think he could have played more games for us. He has a good range of passing, good on set pieces and has the best shot at the club. With his passing, in particular, I noticed his incredible ability to not only pass backwards AND sideways, but also forward! Yes, he really is a maverick renegade with a total disregard for club policy. What does annoy me is him, Naismith and Heitinga coming on as subs late on. Ok, sometimes it's appropriate, but this is the time we should try to blood are younger players. This season, so far, has been a disgrace in terms of youth development. If they're not getting in the first team then Duffy, Barkley, Junior and Lundstrum should have been given at the very least, 6 month loan spells with the option to recall. Stones should, of course, have been allowed to stay at Barnsley and continue playing good quality football week in week out. Terry Maher 3 Posted 08/03/2013 at 16:10:47 I hope he has a chance to come on tomorrow. I think he's got some goals in him. I can see him scoring a screamer this season. Good luck, Thomas. Ray Roche 4 Posted 08/03/2013 at 16:17:36 Phil, your comments regarding the younger players being allowed to go on, or stay, on loan is spot on. I can't for the life of me understand what Moyes was thinking about in bringing Barkley back and not even putting him on the bench. It's the same with Stones, he could have stayed where he was and improved as a player by playing every week instead of rotting in the stiffs or on the bench. As for Junior or Vellios, they must be wondering why they are wasting precious time in what we are always being told is a short career by getting splinters in their arse. Callum Wilson 5 Posted 08/03/2013 at 17:06:00 He's done nothing of note and I would have much preferred to have seen Barkley come on instead of Hitz for the brief cameos he has had. Craig Mills 6 Posted 08/03/2013 at 20:29:46 It's good to hear how positive he is and also that he is looking to stay beyond the end of the season, for me he is a good squad man who we should keep, he showed a glimps of what he is capable of on Boxing Day against Wigan when he rattled the bar from 35 yards, 4" lower it would have been goal of the season at Goodison Derek Thomas 8 Posted 09/03/2013 at 07:16:48 He will be very unlucky, given our small squad, not to be given at least a one year extension 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