http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/bundesliga/startseite/555173/2/slideshow_stars-suchen-arbeit.html Hildebrand, Hinkel, Hitzlsperger, Odonkor, Gerald Asamoah............ Sad stories, especially for players who are 28 or under. Odonkor was our "secret weapon" back in the 2006 World Cup, I think his development couldve been a lot better had he stayed in Dortmund or a Bundesliga team
Odonkor has never been a good footballer (technic wise), but his strength was his pace and so he could confuse the opponents defense by simple running around. His development was thrown back by mayor injuries and not by the move to Spain. Very sad story, best of luck for him (in football or in real life).
I hope Gerald Asamoah finds a new club, because he is a very positive person and has fighting spirit. 1.BL is probably too much for him, but playing in a lower division or a smaller league and giving experience to younger players could work IMHO. Timo Hildebrand is in talks with some clubs and with 32 as a goalie he can have some years to play. But probably not in the BL. Andreas Hinkel is a player, who suffered in the last season by a terrible injury, crucial rupture, missed about 6 month. It is a tough situation to be injured and out of contract. Hopefully he finds a club a winter. "Hitz the hammer" had a bad time in Roma, but his personal stats at West Ham Utd look ok. English football really seems to suit him, maybe he gets an offer from there.
IMHO since he left Stuttgart he is not good enough for a starting goalie job (and as a sub he is to expensive). At Hoffenheim he showed poor performances and at Sporting Portugal he also didn't get much playing time as well (3 matches last season). Currently he is connected with mid-table teams from Greece and Turkey, but he ruled out in an interview to move there and waits for good offers. That is an ok strategy IMO. A BL club not being happy with their goalies after some match days could offer him a chance. Best of luck for him, that is probably the only way to be back in BL business.
How did he just become that crap after being so good for vfb stuttgart and being the 3rd best goalie in the country in 2006. That's the part I don't understand. He wasn't a one season wonder.
He was also pretty good in his short time with Valencia, almost single handedly won them the Copa del Rey. Was brilliant in that tournament and final against Getafe. Remember it very well. After that......downhill and fast.
Really shocking that Hildebrandt can't even make it as a 3rd choice keeper in any BuLi side. Is there such depth in the keeping department in Germany? I remember, a decade+ ago, Germany nationalized Sean Dundee and he never even got a chance to play for the NT. Then everything went downhill for him. He was on the Liverpool reserves for an entire season. That imo, is just as bad as not getting a club.
Hitzlsperger Unemployed??? I thought he is something arround 28 or 29. He is still a serviceable player imo and was an option for the WC last year. Its really sad
Following the link to an article about the 1860 investor, I found at Bild.de an interview with David Odonkor. This guy really had to suffer. 5 mayor knee injuries in 5 years, at the last one he got a bacterial infection in the Seville hospital. If this would not have been sad enough his wife lost an unborn baby. This guy has really fighting spirit to try to get fit in the 5th division and work on his dream to make a comeback in pro football.
Odonkor is on trial with Rangers: http://www.sportinglife.com/footbal.../28/SOCCER_Rangers.html&TEAMHD=soccer&BID=165 If he is healthy I think he's definitely good enough to be part of their squad.
i thought odonkor had hooked up with some german fifth tier club. rangers, though? ... it's worse than i thought.
hitzlsperger had a good enough stint with west ham to secure a contract. I'm really surprised he is struggling to get with a team.