Veteran training for contract

Free agent Thomas Hitzelsperger has been training with Everton in a bid to try and win a contract with David Moyes' side.

The German was released by Wolfsburg at the end of last season after playing a bit part role and making only six appearances. The 30-year-old has plenty of experience playing in the Premier League having played for Aston Villa featuring 99 times before more recently making a handful of appearances for West Ham. Hitzelsperger has been hounded by injuries throughout his career and he is hoping to be able to reach the right level of fitness to gain a contract with the Merseyside club. Everton's assistant coach Steve Round has been impressed with the midfielder so far and is hopeful that he will become part of the squad. He said: "I have been very pleased with him. Thomas is a long way off playing but we have given him the opportunity to come in and it is up to him now. "We will assess him over the next couple of weeks. He seems a really good lad and I don't think I have seen him without a smile on his face. "What will determine whether he gets a contract is his fitness. He has had a bad injury and we would want to see that he could sustain training."