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Hitzlsperger signed until January
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)
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2 Posted 19/10/2012 at 13:38:08
It's like a new signing... :)
3 Posted 19/10/2012 at 14:44:03
4 Posted 19/10/2012 at 15:16:03
5 Posted 19/10/2012 at 15:39:56
6 Posted 19/10/2012 at 15:48:31
Could be useful.
7 Posted 19/10/2012 at 16:00:23
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.
8 Posted 19/10/2012 at 16:01:30
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.
9 Posted 19/10/2012 at 16:17:02
10 Posted 19/10/2012 at 16:31:01
My guess is that he is a fill in until the club hopefully signs Odidje-Ofoe when the window reopens.
11 Posted 19/10/2012 at 16:49:01
12 Posted 19/10/2012 at 16:53:03
As for Odidja-Ofoe, he's still pure speculation until he actually arrives. Until then, I don't figure him in.
13 Posted 19/10/2012 at 17:35:43
14 Posted 19/10/2012 at 17:41:25
15 Posted 19/10/2012 at 17:49:55
16 Posted 19/10/2012 at 18:09:48
17 Posted 19/10/2012 at 18:11:56
I guess it counts, just ...
18 Posted 19/10/2012 at 18:12:35
19 Posted 19/10/2012 at 18:19:44
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!
20 Posted 19/10/2012 at 18:42:13
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzGgZVzwBqY
21 Posted 19/10/2012 at 18:45:38
He's our second German, after Stefan Wessels played for us In 2007 against Man Utd, Villa and Sheff Weds, when Howard was injurred...
22 Posted 19/10/2012 at 18:47:32
23 Posted 19/10/2012 at 18:47:06
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.
24 Posted 19/10/2012 at 21:05:51
25 Posted 19/10/2012 at 23:26:53
26 Posted 20/10/2012 at 01:09:37
27 Posted 20/10/2012 at 01:11:11
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)
28 Posted 20/10/2012 at 01:17:26
29 Posted 20/10/2012 at 05:38:06
30 Posted 20/10/2012 at 08:29:45
31 Posted 20/10/2012 at 10:00:10
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.
32 Posted 20/10/2012 at 12:16:15
33 Posted 20/10/2012 at 14:45:09
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.
34 Posted 20/10/2012 at 16:35:28
35 Posted 20/10/2012 at 17:30:43
As for Hitzlsperger I can not really comment on him till I see him play...
36 Posted 20/10/2012 at 19:04:37
37 Posted 21/10/2012 at 02:32:37
38 Posted 21/10/2012 at 15:13:51
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....
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1 Posted 19/10/2012 at 13:03:54