After being announced as West Ham manager on June 3 this summer, Avram Grant wasted little time (two days, to be exact) in snapping up the first name of his new regime, with the arrival of Thomas Hitzlsperger on a three-year deal from Lazio. The 28 year-old joined up at Upton Park on a free transfer on July 1, after his contract expired at the end of June.
Hitzlsperger already has considerable experience of the Premier League following a five-year stint at Aston Villa which ended at 2005, and -given his nickname, “The Hammer”- will no doubt be a pun-friendly headline-writer’s dream during his time at the club.
The midfielder will also be looking for guaranteed first-team action to help resurrect his international career; he played in all but one of Germany’s World Cup qualifiers, but, having made just six appearances since joining Lazio in January, ultimately missed the final cut…
The Statistics
Opinion…
Da Beeez
“Hitzlsperger‘s former days at Aston Villa should shorten, if not eliminate, the transitional period we often see for players coming to the Premier League. But, West Ham’s initial schedule is daunting.
With games against Villa, Man United, Chelsea and Spurs in their first six games, it’s perhaps wise stay away, for now.
He‘s in that price-range where you can‘t expect consistency, but keep an eye out for a chance to plug him in if he hits form when the Hammers hit a soft run of games.”
Having arrived at Villa as an 18 year-old from Bayern Munich, Hitzlsperger played under three different managers in his time there, appearing 99 times and bagging 8 goals. His performances and spectacular long-range efforts not only earned him his nickname, they also endeared the German to Villa’s fans, and he became a firm favourite.
A move back to his native country to play for Stuttgart saw his goal tally rise with his growing maturity; 20 goals in 125 games, an average of one in six was indicative of an improvement in his shooting from left-midfield. His performances were also vital in helping the club capture the Bundesliga title in 2007.
He kept the same ratio in his brief spell in Italy; 6 games, 1 goal for Lazio. Hitzlsperger has also played 51 times for his country, bagging 6 goals in return.
The Prospects
With the recent comments of co-owner David Sullivan suggesting everyone bar Scott Parker is up for sale, West Ham are clearly a club in transition. Hitzlsperger certainly appears to be earmarked as an integral part of West Ham’s starting XI for next season, with Sullivan beaming:
“We had to move quickly to secure his services when he became available, especially as there was understandably so much interest in him from around Europe and back in Germany. I am especially pleased that he is excited by what we are trying to achieve here at West Ham. He is the first of many signings this summer. We are going to sign a mixture of exciting young talent as well as the very best senior pros who can add real strength to the squad like Thomas.”
If the new owners are true to their word, Avram Grant could well be given the time to build and mould a side to his own footballing ethos, and his times at both Chelsea and Portsmouth have shown him to be a more than capable manager with plenty integrity.
Hitzlsperger finds himself in the low-to-mid price bracket in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), at the cost of just £5.5m. Regular starts should be his and with that ferocious left-foot shot, a few goals will no doubt come his way; if his 1 in 6 average bears up, expect around 6 or 7 strikes along with the odd assist or two, suggesting that, for that price, he could just prove to be a bargain; particularly when the fixtures fall kindly.
Following last season’s disappointing league campaign, the next few weeks will be interesting as the Hammers look to continue their recruitment in preparation for the 2010/11 season kick-off on August 14. Hitzlsperger has a vital role to play in West Ham’s revolution but just who will be lining up alongside him in their midfield is currently anyone’s guess and a key factor in the German’s Fantasy prospects.