Working under David Moyes at Everton gave former Germany international Thomas Hitzlsperger a new perspective on leadership
Thomas Hitzlsperger during the Serie A match between Verona and Lazio at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi on January 19, 2025
Thomas Hitzlsperger during the Serie A match between Verona and Lazio at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi on January 19, 2025(Image: Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
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Former Germany international Thomas Hitzlsperger has revealed that working under David Moyes at Everton gave him a new perspective on leadership.
Moyes, who is now back as Blues boss for a second spell, steered the club to nine top-eight finishes, including their highest-ever Premier League position of fourth during his first period in charge at Goodison Park.
Hitzlsperger made 114 appearances for Aston Villa, who were his first professional club, but after spells with VfB Stuttgart, Lazio, West Ham United and WfL Wolfsburg, Everton became his final team when, on October 19, 2012, after a period as a free agent, his signed a short-term contract with them after successful trial.
In what was Moyes’ final season before joining Manchester United as Sir Alex Ferguson’s handpicked successor, the midfielder, who was capped 52 times, and netted six international goals, turned out nine times for the Blues.
After hanging up his boots, Munich-born Hitzlsperger returned to former club Stuttgart to serve as head of sport and then chief executive while he is now a board member of Italian Serie A side Hellas Verona.
Writing on LinkedIn, the 44-year-old said: “Towards the end of my career, I joined Everton Football Club. It wasn’t a period where I played a lot, but I learned quite a bit in a different way. “Working under David Moyes gave me a new perspective on leadership. What stood out wasn’t tactics. It was how he ran the club day to day.
“He had a very clear sense of what was going on, and there was a calm authority about him. People listened because they trusted him, not because they had to. “At the same time, he didn’t try to control everything himself. He understood where he added the most value and where others could take responsibility. That balance isn’t easy to get right, but he managed it well.
Thomas Hitzlsperger playing for Everton
Thomas Hitzlsperger playing for Everton
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“Looking back, that’s probably what impressed me the most. The club felt organised, clear, and aligned, even if things weren’t always perfect.
“I didn’t get as many minutes as I would have liked that season, but I still look back on it positively because sometimes you learn just as much from observing how people lead as you do from being on the pitch.
“The best leaders don’t just set direction – they create the environment for others to perform.”