Biography
Who is Thomas Hitzlsperger?
Early life and youth career
Thomas Hitzlsperger was born in Munich, Germany, on April 5, 1982. He grew up in the town of Forstinning alongside his five brothers and one sister. His parents are Ludwig and Anneliese Hitzlsperger.
He began his football path by joining the VfB Forstinning youth team in 1988. Later, he signed with the Bayern Munich Junior Team. He remained with that youth setup until the conclusion of the 1999 to 2000 season.
Professional football career
After a brief trial with Celtic in August 2000, Thomas joined the English club Aston Villa on a free youth transfer. He made his senior debut for the team in January 2001. While at Villa, he earned the nickname Der Hammer due to his powerful long-range left-foot shots. He was also loaned out to Chesterfield during the 2001 to 2002 season, where he made six appearances.
In the summer of 2005, he moved to VfB Stuttgart on a free transfer. He became a regular starter and was a key member of the squad that won the Bundesliga title in 2007. He scored a crucial goal in the final match of that season against Energie Cottbus to help secure the championship. He later served as the team captain for Stuttgart starting in July 2008.
International play and executive work
Thomas represented the Germany national team at various youth levels before making his senior debut against Iran in October 2004. He went on to earn 52 caps for his country. His tournament appearances included the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008. During the 2008 tournament, he helped Germany reach the final by setting up a goal in the semi-final against Turkey.
Following his retirement from playing, he transitioned into football management and executive roles. In February 2019, he became the Head of Sport at VfB Stuttgart and was later promoted to CEO. He left this position in March 2022. By 2025, he joined the board of the Italian club Hellas Verona.
Personal life and advocacy
Thomas Hitzlsperger has maintained an interest in economics and studied investment strategies during his time in England. He has also engaged in social advocacy, including blogging for Störungsmelder, an anti-racism website in Germany. In January 2014, he publicly came out as gay. This made him the highest-profile male footballer to do so at that time. He was previously in an eight-year relationship with Inga Totzauer, which ended in 2007.
Birthday and age
Thomas Hitzlsperger was born on April 5, 1982, which makes Thomas 44 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aries sign. Thomas shares the date with 54 other famous people.
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