Timothy Filiga Cahill (; born 6 December 1979) is an Australian former professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who played as an
attacking midfielder
A midfielder is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As #Cent ...
but also played as a
striker on many occasions. A
box-to-box midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
, Cahill became recognised for "his aggressive and powerful approach and his ability to head the ball in the
penalty area
The penalty area or 18-yard box (also known less formally as the penalty box or simply box) is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends 16.5m (18 yd) to each side of the goal and 16.5m (18 yd) in front of it.
Wit ...
". Cahill has scored 50 goals in 108 caps between 2004 and 2018 and is regarded as one of the greatest Australian footballers of all time. He currently works as a pundit for
BBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC, providing national sports coverage for BBC television, radio and online. The BBC holds the television and radio UK broadcasting rights to several sports, broadcasting the sport live or alongside flag ...
and
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is a group of British subscription sports channels operated by the satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It ...
.
In 1997, Cahill left
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
for England to play professionally; there he was signed by
Millwall
Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, eas ...
on a
free transfer from
Sydney United
Sydney United 58 Football Club is a semi-professional soccer club and current NSW NPL Champions based in Edensor Park, Sydney, New South Wales Australia. The club was formed as Sydney Croatia in 1958, by Croatian Australians in the area, but ...
. He was part of the Millwall side that won the
Football League Second Division
The Football League Second Division was the second level division in the English football league system between 1892 and 1992. Following the foundation of the FA Premier League, the Football League divisions were renumbered and the third ti ...
title in the
2000–01 season, and was also central part of Millwall's run to the
2004 FA Cup Final. Before the start of the
2004–05 season, Cahill was transferred to
Everton. He was named both
Everton Player of the Season and
Everton Players' Player of the Season in his debut season, and in the following year he was named as one of 50 nominees for the
Ballon d'Or
The Ballon d'Or (; ) is an annual football award presented by French news magazine ''France Football'' since 1956. Between 2010 and 2015, in an agreement with FIFA, the award was temporarily merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year (fo ...
, becoming the first Everton player in 18 years to be nominated. He was also part of the Everton side that reached the final of the
2008–09 FA Cup. Since leaving Everton in 2012, Cahill has played for the
New York Red Bulls
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...
,
Shanghai Shenhua
Shanghai Shenhua F.C. () is a Chinese professional football club that participates in the Chinese Super League under license from the Chinese Football Association (CFA). The term ''shen hua'' literally translates as "the Flower of Shanghai" in ...
,
Hangzhou Greentown
Zhejiang Professional Football Club (), commonly referred to as Zhejiang FC or simply Zhejiang, is a professional Chinese football club that currently participates in the Chinese Super League under license from the Chinese Football Association (C ...
and
Melbourne City. After a brief spell at former club Millwall, he ended his career at
Jamshedpur
Jamshedpur (, ) or Tatanagar is the largest and most populous city in Jharkhand and the first planned industrial city in India. It is a Notified Area Council and Municipal Corporation and also the headquarter of the East Singhbhum district. It ...
.
Cahill was the first Australian to score at a
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
, scored in three World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014) and has scored the most goals by any Australian in the World Cup with five goals. In 2007, he became the first Australian player to score at an
AFC Asian Cup
The AFC Asian Cup is the primary association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), determining the continental champion of Asia. It is the second oldest cont ...
. Cahill is known for his adept heading ability and high
vertical leap
A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of jumping upwards into the air. It can be an exercise for building both endurance and strength, and is also a standard test for measuring athletic performance. It may also be referred to as a ''Sargent ...
, having scored many of his goals with his head. He is famous for his regular
goal celebration
In sports, a goal celebration is the practice of celebrating the scoring of a goal. The celebration is normally performed by the goalscorer, and may involve their teammates, the manager or coaching staff or the supporters of the team. Whilst r ...
of shadow boxing around the corner flag.
Early life
Cahill was born in Sydney to an English-born father of
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
descent and a
Samoan mother. He was encouraged to play football as a child, although he grew up in a
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
-playing family. In his youth, Cahill played football for the Balmain Police Boys Club, Marrickville Football Club, and Plumpton/Oakhurst Soccer Club. He attended Bexley North Public School, Annandale North Public School,
Tempe High School, Kingsgrove High School and
Kingsgrove North High School.
He is the brother of retired-footballer and former Samoa captain,
Chris Cahill. Many of his relatives are involved in rugby: three cousins who are professional rugby players,
Ben Roberts (New Zealand Rugby League),
Joe Stanley
Joe Stanley (born 13 April 1957) is a former rugby union player. He was born in Auckland, New Zealand.
Career
Stanley played for Ponsonby RFC and Auckland in the National Provincial Championship, and New Zealand as a centre. Joe is a member o ...
, and
Jeremy Stanley (New Zealand Rugby Union); two nephews who are professional rugby league players,
Chase Stanley
Chase Stanley (born 31 May 1989) is a New Zealand former international rugby league footballer who plays as a or er for the Toronto Wolfpack in the Betfred Super League.
He previously played for the St. George Illawarra Dragons in two sepa ...
and
Kyle Stanley
Kyle Stanley (born November 19, 1987) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.
Amateur career
Stanley was born in Gig Harbor, Washington. He was a 2002 graduate of St. Charles Borromeo elementary and middle school and a 20 ...
; and is related to Rugby Union professionals Sam Stanley (Saracens & England U20),
Mike Stanley
Robert Michael Stanley (born June 25, 1963) is an American former college and professional baseball player who was a catcher in Major League Baseball for fifteen years. Stanley played college baseball for the University of Florida, and thereaft ...
(Samoa),
Benson Stanley, and
Winston Stanley.
Club career
Millwall
In 1997, Cahill asked his parents to allow him to travel to England to play professionally; they allowed him to do so. He lived in
Grays, Essex with family until he was signed by
Millwall
Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, eas ...
on a
free transfer from
Sydney United
Sydney United 58 Football Club is a semi-professional soccer club and current NSW NPL Champions based in Edensor Park, Sydney, New South Wales Australia. The club was formed as Sydney Croatia in 1958, by Croatian Australians in the area, but ...
. He made his Millwall debut on 2 May 1998 against
AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth () is a professional association football club based in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest division of English club football. Formed in 1899 as B ...
at
The Den
The Den (previously The New Den) is a football stadium in New Cross, south-east London, and the home of Millwall Football Club. The Den is adjacent to the South London railway originating at , and a quarter of a mile from the Old Den, which i ...
, which Millwall lost 2–1. Cahill helped Millwall reach the
1999 Football League Trophy Final where they lost to
Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1932, ...
.
He was part of the Millwall side that won the
Football League Second Division
The Football League Second Division was the second level division in the English football league system between 1892 and 1992. Following the foundation of the FA Premier League, the Football League divisions were renumbered and the third ti ...
championship with a club record 93 points in the
2000–01 season. He also reached two play-off semi-finals with Millwall in
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
and
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
. Cahill was a central part of Millwall's run to the
2004 FA Cup Final, their first appearance in the showpiece in club history, scoring the winning goal in the semi-final against
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
, and securing a
UEFA Cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
place in the process. Cahill polled over 100,000 votes to win the FA Cup "Player of the Round" award for his performance during the semi-final victory. His last game for the club was against
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
in the final, which Millwall lost 3–0. Cahill made 249 overall appearances for ''The Lions'', scoring 56 goals in the process.
Everton
![Tim cahill everton](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Tim_cahill_everton.jpg)
Before the start of the
2004–05 season, Cahill was transferred to
Everton for a fee of £1.5 million,
after Millwall's
South East London rivals
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace may refer to:
Places Canada
* Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick
* Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario
* Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
ended negotiations of a potential transfer to themselves over a payment to his agents. In his first season, he was Everton's top goalscorer
[ and was the fans' Player of the Season.] Before the 2005–06 season Cahill's contract at Everton was extended with a salary increase reflecting the impact he had made at the club. The third round of that season's FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
drew Cahill's former club, Millwall against Everton at The Den
The Den (previously The New Den) is a football stadium in New Cross, south-east London, and the home of Millwall Football Club. The Den is adjacent to the South London railway originating at , and a quarter of a mile from the Old Den, which i ...
. He scored the winner in the replay at Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a football stadium in the Walton area of Liverpool, England. It has been the home stadium of Premier League club Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892. Located in a residential area 2 miles (3 km) north of Liverpool ...
, but chose not to celebrate his winning goal, stating, "I decided not to go mad and just pay my respects to the club that gave me my start in the game. To celebrate would have been a kick in the teeth, it is all about respect."
In October 2006, Cahill was named as one of 50 nominees for the Ballon d'Or
The Ballon d'Or (; ) is an annual football award presented by French news magazine ''France Football'' since 1956. Between 2010 and 2015, in an agreement with FIFA, the award was temporarily merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year (fo ...
, becoming the first Everton player in 18 years to be nominated, and the only player on the list from an AFC nation. He missed much of the 2006–07 season with injuries to his knee and foot, but signed a five-year contract extension at the season's end.
Cahill returned from injury partway through the 2007–08 season in the club's first UEFA Cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
Group match, a home match against Greek side Larissa
Larissa (; el, Λάρισα, , ) is the capital and largest city of the Thessaly region in Greece. It is the fifth-most populous city in Greece with a population of 144,651 according to the 2011 census. It is also capital of the Larissa regiona ...
on 25 October 2007, scoring from a diving header after 14 minutes in a 3–1 win. His extra time winner against Luton Town
Luton Town Football Club () is a professional association football club based in the town of Luton, Bedfordshire, England, that competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1885, it is nicknam ...
on 31 October in the League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
, sent Everton into their first cup quarter-final in more than 5 years. His 100th league appearance for Everton came in a 1–1 draw against Sunderland. Due to injuries to all four of Everton's senior strikers Cahill was employed as a makeshift forward during December 2008. In this role he scored a late equaliser in the Merseyside Derby
The Merseyside derby is the association football, football matches between Everton F.C., Everton and Liverpool F.C., Liverpool, the two primary clubs in Liverpool, England. Named after the county of Merseyside, in which Liverpool is located, it ...
, becoming the first player since Dixie Dean to score for Everton in three Anfield
Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892. ...
derbies. His 100th career goal was scored against Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
at Goodison on 28 January 2009.
On 15 February, Cahill scored the third goal in a 3–1 win over Aston Villa
Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
and dedicated the goal to the victims of the 2009 Victorian bushfires. During the second half of the 2008–09 season, Cahill was used more as the "utility man" due to his versatility as Everton was plagued by injuries to playmaker Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta Amatriain (born 26 March 1982) is a Spanish professional football manager and former player. He is the manager of club Arsenal.
Arteta began his senior career at Barcelona in 1999 but limited playing time led to a loan to Paris ...
as well as strikers Victor Anichebe
Victor Chinedu Anichebe (born 23 April 1988) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a forward.
Early life
Anichebe was born in Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria but moved to Liverpool, Merseyside, England aged one. His family ori ...
and Yakubu Yakubu is an English transliteration of a West African name and is a cognate of Jacob and James. Notable people with the name include:
;Given name
* Yakubu (born 1982 as Yakubu Ayegbeni), Nigerian footballer
* Yakubu (Gobir ruler), historical ruler ...
and some other key players.
Owing to Phil Neville
Philip John Neville (born 21 January 1977) is an English football manager and former player, who is the head coach of MLS team Inter Miami CF. He is also the co-owner of Salford City, along with several of his former Manchester United teamma ...
sustaining a knee ligament injury early in the 2009–10 season, Cahill was named as the replacement captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
of Everton. Later in the season he scored his 50th goal for Everton, in a 3–1 victory over Carlisle United in the Third Round of the FA Cup.
Everton fans gave him the nickname "Tiny Tim" after the Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...
character
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
because he is slightly short and slim. He has made a corner flag goal celebration
In sports, a goal celebration is the practice of celebrating the scoring of a goal. The celebration is normally performed by the goalscorer, and may involve their teammates, the manager or coaching staff or the supporters of the team. Whilst r ...
his "trademark". The celebration, where Cahill pretends to trade punches with the corner flag while putting the Everton badge between his teeth, was first seen in the 2005–06 season. On 2 March 2008, Cahill controversially celebrated his goal in the 3–1 home victory of Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
by crossing his wrists as if he had been handcuffed. This was in reference to the recent jailing of his brother, Sean; Cahill later apologised for the gesture. Cahill dedicated his winning goal in a Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
game against BATE Borisov to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Samoa, miming rowing a canoe after scoring in the second half of the match in Belarus.
Cahill scored two goals against Aston Villa
Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
on 14 April 2010, both coming from headers to move his goal tally for the season to nine goals, all coming from his head. Three days later against Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. T ...
, Cahill scored a 90th-minute winner, to give Everton a 3–2 victory.
Cahill made his 200th appearance for Everton on 25 April 2010 in a 2–1 against Fulham, and signed a new four-year contract the following month. He scored his fifth goal in a Merseyside derby
The Merseyside derby is the association football, football matches between Everton F.C., Everton and Liverpool F.C., Liverpool, the two primary clubs in Liverpool, England. Named after the county of Merseyside, in which Liverpool is located, it ...
, in a 2–0 win over Liverpool in October 2010, and his 50th Premier League goal a month later, in a game against Blackpool
Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
. The Aussie received a foot injury during the 2011 Asia Cup finals which limited his appearances until the end of the season to only nine – eight league games and one in the FA Cup.
Following his participation in the 2011 Asian Cup, Cahill had the longest goal drought in his career. He scored his last league goal in December 2010 away to Manchester City and went the whole of 2011 without finding the net. The run stretched to 34 games, but was finally ended when he scored the opening goal, a tap in from close range, in a 1–1 draw with Blackburn in January 2012.
On 13 May 2012, during Everton's last match against Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
at Goodison Park, Cahill was sent off for violent conduct after the full-time whistle for an altercation with Yohan Cabaye
Yohan Cabaye (; born 14 January 1986) is a French former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Cabaye began his football career playing for hometown club US Tourcoing at the age of six. After seven years developing in the club's ...
. After eight years with Everton, Cahill thanked the club and fans saying, "I want to thank everyone at Everton, from the club to tremendous supporters. It has been a privilege to be an Everton player for the past eight years and it was a very difficult decision to leave. I will always support Everton and I wish the club the best of luck in the future."
New York Red Bulls
On 26 July 2012, Cahill signed for the New York Red Bulls
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...
of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
as a Designated Player
The Designated Player Rule, nicknamed the Beckham Rule, allows Major League Soccer franchises to sign up to three players that would be considered outside their salary cap (either by offering the player higher wages or by paying a transfer fee ...
, for a fee reported to be approximately £1 million. He made his MLS debut in a game against the Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo FC (formerly officially, but still commonly, called the Houston Dynamo) is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The Dynamo compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Establi ...
the following month. On 19 May 2013 Cahill scored a goal which turned out to be the winner in the 91st minute against the Los Angeles Galaxy
LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began pla ...
in a 1–0 win.
On 20 October 2013, Cahill set a new record (broken in 2015 by Mike Grella
Michele Grella (born January 23, 1987) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a forward and winger, who is currently a soccer analyst for CBS Sports Network and Paramount+.
Club career Youth and amateur
Grella was born i ...
) for the fastest goal in MLS history when he scored eight seconds into a 3–0 win against the Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo FC (formerly officially, but still commonly, called the Houston Dynamo) is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The Dynamo compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Establi ...
. Cahill replaced suspended forward Bradley Wright-Phillips
Bradley Edward Wright-Phillips (born 12 March 1985) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker.
He began his career with Manchester City in the Premier League, before spending the remainder of his time in England in ...
in the second leg of the Red Bulls' MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The game is held in November and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Conference ...
semi-final against the New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional soccer club based in the Greater Boston area that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), in the Eastern Conference of the league. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having compet ...
on 29 November 2014. Despite Cahill opening the scoring in the 26th minute to level the tie, the Red Bulls bowed out with a 2–2 draw in Massachusetts, losing 4–3 on aggregate. On 2 February 2015, Cahill left New York Red Bulls by mutual agreement.
Shanghai Shenhua
Following his departure from New York Red Bulls, Cahill signed with Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua
Shanghai Shenhua F.C. () is a Chinese professional football club that participates in the Chinese Super League under license from the Chinese Football Association (CFA). The term ''shen hua'' literally translates as "the Flower of Shanghai" in ...
. On 9 March 2015, Cahill debuted for Shanghai Shenhua in the team's opening game of the 2015 Chinese Super League season, a 6–2 win over rivals Shanghai Shenxin
Shanghai Shenxin Football Club () was a professional football club that participated in China's football league system between 2003 and 2019 under licence from the Chinese Football Association (CFA). The team was based in Jinshan District, Shangha ...
. Shanghai Shenhua also went to the Chinese FA Cup final in which they were defeated by Jiangsu Guoxin-Sainty
Jiangsu Football Club (), later known as Jiangsu Sainty F.C. (2000–2016) and Jiangsu Suning F.C. (2016–2021), was a professional football club that participated in the Chinese Super League since 2009 until its dissolution in 2021. The tea ...
after extra time.
On 16 February 2016, Cahill announced on social media that he had terminated his contract with Shanghai by mutual agreement upon being told that he was not part of new coach Gregorio Manzano
Gregorio "Goyo" Manzano Ballesteros (; born 11 March 1956) is a Spanish football manager.
Football career
Born in Bailén, Jaén, Andalusia, Manzano's training career started in 1983 at the age of 27. He took charge of several teams in his nat ...
's plans for the 2016 Chinese Super League season.
Hangzhou Greentown
On 22 February 2016, it was reported that Cahill signed with Chinese Super League
The Chinese Football Association Super League, commonly known as Chinese Super League or CSL, currently known as the China Ping An Chinese Football Association Super League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest tier of professional association ...
club Hangzhou Greentown
Zhejiang Professional Football Club (), commonly referred to as Zhejiang FC or simply Zhejiang, is a professional Chinese football club that currently participates in the Chinese Super League under license from the Chinese Football Association (C ...
. On 6 March 2016, Cahill scored a penalty on his Hangzhou Greentown debut in a 2–1 win against Changchun Yatai. Cahill decided to come back to Australia for his family in the summer of 2016. On 14 July 2016, he had his contract terminated by mutual consent.
Melbourne City
On 11 August 2016, Cahill signed a three-year contract with A-League
A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competiti ...
club Melbourne City, with the plan to play the first two years and then take on a coaching role for the third year. Cahill made his debut in the FFA Cup
The Australia Cup, formerly known as the FFA Cup until the 2021 season, is the national football knockout cup competition in Australia. This annual competition is organised by Football Australia, formerly known as Football Federation Austral ...
on 24 August as a 64th-minute substitute against Brisbane Strikers
Brisbane Strikers Football Club is an Australian semi-professional football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in 1991 as Brisbane United, the club competed in the National Soccer League until the 2003–04 season and was one of tw ...
. In his second game for Melbourne City, he scored and got an assist in a 4–1 win in the FFA Cup quarter final against Western Sydney Wanderers
Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club (colloquially known as Western Sydney, or simply as Wanderers) is an Australian professional soccer club based in the Western Sydney region of Sydney, New South Wales. It competes in the country's premier ...
. Cahill made his A-League debut in a Melbourne Derby against Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Melbourne, Victoria. Competing in the country's premier men's competition, the A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL), Victory e ...
on 15 October. He opened the scoring with a spectacular volley into the top corner from 35 metres out after 27 minutes. City won the match 4–1. On 30 November, Cahill scored a trademark header in the FFA Cup Final. The victory over Sydney FC was the club's first piece of silverware.
On 4 February 2017, just as he was preparing to come on as a substitute against Melbourne Victory FC
Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Melbourne, Victoria. Competing in the country's premier men's competition, the A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL), Victory e ...
, Cahill was sent off for using "insulting, offensive, abusive language towards a match official" after he angrily disputed a goal with Chris Beath
Chris James Beath (born 17 November 1984) is an Australian Association football, football Referee (association football), referee in the A-League.
Refereeing career
He has refereed at the National Youth Championships in 2003 and in 2004.
Beath ...
. This is the first time in Australian football history in which a player was sent off before entering the field of play.
On 6 December 2017, Cahill left Melbourne City after not getting enough game time, in a bid for more game time at club level to boost his chances to get selected for the Australian squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national Association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awa ...
.
Return to Millwall
On 29 January 2018, Cahill rejoined his first professional club, Millwall
Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, eas ...
, signing until the end of the 2017–18 EFL Championship season. A week after his return, he played for Millwall's under-23 team in the Professional Development League
The Professional Development League is a system of youth football leagues that are managed, organised and controlled by the Premier League or by the Football League. It was introduced by the Football Association via the Elite Player Performanc ...
scoring a goal in their 3–2 victory over Coventry City
Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. The club is nicknamed t ...
. The following week, Cahill made his second Millwall debut, coming on in the 90th minute to a standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim. In Ancient Rome returning military commanders (such as Marcus Licinius Crassus a ...
.
He was released by Millwall at the end of the 2017–18 season. Cahill’s ten appearances during this spell meant he retired having played one more league game for Millwall than Everton.
Jamshedpur FC
On 1 September 2018, Cahill signed with Indian Super League
The Indian Super League (ISL) is an Indian professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Organised by the All India Football Federat ...
club Jamshedpur
Jamshedpur (, ) or Tatanagar is the largest and most populous city in Jharkhand and the first planned industrial city in India. It is a Notified Area Council and Municipal Corporation and also the headquarter of the East Singhbhum district. It ...
. However, he could not make his debut in the first game of the season against Mumbai City FC due to suspension in the game. He made his debut for the club in the next match, a 2–2 draw against Bengaluru. He scored his first goal for the club in a draw with Kerala Blasters
Kerala Blasters Football Club (), commonly referred to as The Blasters, is an Indian professional football club based in Kochi, Kerala, that competes in the Indian Super League, the top tier of football in India. The club was established i ...
, and later scored in a 2–1 win over Odisha
Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...
. During February 2019, he was sidelined with a finger injury, and missed the rest of the season.
On 28 March 2019, Cahill announced his retirement from football.
International career
Western Samoa
Although born in Sydney, Cahill had lived in Western Samoa for three years before returning to Australia as a child. The Football Federation Samoa
Football Federation Samoa is a member of the Oceania Football Confederation and is the national governing body for association football in Samoa. It was founded in 1968 and became a FIFA member in 1986. The Samoa national football team is a reg ...
invited Australia-based Cahill to play for the country at the 1994 OFC U-20 Championship. The competition winners would qualify for the 1995 FIFA World Youth Championship. Cahill made his debut for the under-20 team at the age of 14.
He made his debut for Western Samoa in a 3–0 loss against New Zealand coming on as a substitute. He also played against Vanuatu in another 3–0 defeat. He played alongside his older brother Sean, who was a goalkeeper. His younger brother Chris
Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, Christine, and Christos. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common.
People with the given name
* Chris Abani (born 1966), N ...
later went on to captain the country at the top national team level.
Change of allegiance
In February 2002, Cahill received an offer to play for the Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
at the 2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams organized by ...
by Mick McCarthy
Michael Joseph McCarthy (born 7 February 1959) is a professional football manager, pundit, and former player. He was last in charge of EFL Championship club Cardiff City.
McCarthy began his playing career at Barnsley in 1977, and he later had ...
, his former manager at Millwall. Cahill has Irish grandparents and McCarthy had hoped that Cahill would be interested. However Cahill was not eligible as he was cap-tied
Cap-tied is an adjective, used primarily in association football, to describe a player who has represented a senior national football team in more than three games (including at least one competitive game) and as a result is unable to represent a ...
to Samoa.
FIFA changed its eligibility rules in 2003, allowing players capped at junior levels to switch international allegiance, meaning that Cahill was then able to play for England, Republic of Ireland, Australia or Samoa. He chose to represent the country of his birth, declaring it a "special moment".
Australia
Cahill made his debut for Australia in a friendly against South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
on 30 March 2004 at Loftus Road
Loftus Road is a football stadium in White City, London, England, which is home to Queens Park Rangers.
In 1981, it became the first stadium in British professional football to have an artificial pitch of Omniturf installed. This remained in ...
, London. He then participated at the 2004 Olympic Games
The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...
.
2004 OFC Nations Cup
Cahill made his competitive debut for Australia at the 2004 OFC Nations Cup. Cahill finished the competition as second-highest scorer in the competition with six goals, and was the top scorer in the final round. Australia went on to win the competition for the fourth time in their history. Having won the competition, Australia were drawn against Uruguay in the World Cup qualification play-off. Cahill played in the game as Australia beat Uruguay after a penalty shoot out to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in over 30 years.
2004 Summer Olympics
Cahill helped Australia reach the quarter final stage of the men's football tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He scored his only goal of the competition in a 5–1 win over Serbia. Australia were knocked out of the competition by Iraq following a 1–0 loss. Following his performances in the OFC Nations Cup and Summer Olympics competitions Cahill was named Oceania Footballer of the Year
The Oceania Footballer of the Year award is presented each year to the best football (soccer) player from the Oceania region, as chosen by a panel of football journalists. The award was dominated by Australian players until that nation became part ...
for 2004.
2005 FIFA Confederations Cup
Frank Farina named Cahill in his squad for the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the seventh FIFA Confederations Cup. It was held in Germany between 15 June and 29 June 2005, as a prelude to the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The tournament was won by 2002 FIFA World Cup winners ...
. However the tournament was not a success for the Socceroos as they were eliminated at the group stage in a group that contained Argentina, Germany and Tunisia. Cahill played in all three games of Socceroos campaign.
2006 FIFA World Cup
Cahill played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and, in Australia's opening group game against Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, became the first ever Australian to score a World Cup goal. Scoring a second goal in the same game, he earned man of the match
In team sport, a player of the match or man of the match or woman of the match award is often given to the most outstanding player in a particular match. This can be a player from either team, although the player is generally chosen from the winn ...
honours.
Cahill also played in the group game against Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, which Australia lost and a drawn group game against Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
. Cahill played the entire "round of 16" match against eventual World Cup winners Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, which Australia lost 0–1.
2007 Asian Cup
Cahill was on the Australian team which reached the quarter finals of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup
The 2007 AFC Asian Cup was the 14th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The finals were held from 7 to 29 July 2007. For the first time in its h ...
. As he was recovering from injury, Cahill was used as a substitute throughout the tournament.
2010 FIFA World Cup
Cahill was instrumental in Australia's qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
, scoring goals in crucial matches against Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
and Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. At this time, former Australian coach Rale Rasic
Zvonimir "Rale" Rasic OAM (/Zvonimir Rale Rašić; born 26 December 1935) is an Australian former association football player, coach and media personality.
Playing career Club
Born in Dole, Littoral Banovina, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (now Bosnia ...
described Cahill as the best Australian footballer he had seen in his lifetime.
Despite earlier injury concerns, Cahill played in Australia's opening group game at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
against Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
where he controversially received a straight red card A red card is a type of penalty card that is shown in many sports after a rules infraction.
Red card may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''Red Card'' (album), 1976 release by Streetwalkers
* Red card, suit (cards) of hearts or d ...
in the 56th minute, which meant he missed the group match against Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
in Rustenburg.
Cahill played in the final group match against Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
, where he scored in the 69th minute. After the tournament, Cahill had scored a total of three FIFA World Cup goals, which is a national record.
2011 Asian Cup
Cahill was named to the 23-man squad for the 2011 Asian Cup campaign. The Socceroos made a bright start to the tournament by beating India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
4–0, with Cahill scoring twice.
The final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
was played between Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and Australia which resulted in a 1–0 loss from a 109th minute volley by Tadanari Lee
is a Japanese football player of Korean descent who plays for Singapore-based Albirex Niigata. He has made 11 appearances for the Japanese national team. He is sometimes known as Chung, in reference to his Korean name, Lee Chung-sung.
Lee is ...
.
2014 FIFA World Cup
Cahill scored three goals during the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign as Australia reached a third consecutive finals.
On 5 March 2014, in a pre-World Cup friendly match against Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
, Cahill became Australia's all-time top goalscorer with 31 goals, scoring twice in a 4–3 loss.
Cahill scored Australia's only goal in their opening group
A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together.
Groups of people
* Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity
* Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic ide ...
match against Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
on 13 June 2014. He joined Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains the Portugal national team. He is currently a free agent. Widely regarded as one of the greatest p ...
, Mexican defender Rafael Márquez
Rafael Márquez Álvarez (; born 13 February 1979) is a Mexican former professional footballer and current head coach of Spanish team Barcelona Atlètic. Nicknamed '' El Káiser'', he is regarded as the best defender in Mexico's history and o ...
, Dutch players Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie (; born 6 August 1983) is a Dutch football coach and former professional footballer who played as a striker. Regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation, Van Persie was known for his excellent technique and ball co ...
and Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben (; born 23 January 1984) is a Dutch former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Winger (football), winger. He was known for his Dribbling#Association football, dribbling skills, speed, ball control and long ...
, German player Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Josef Klose (, pl, Mirosław Józef Klose; born 9 June 1978 as Mirosław Marian Klose) is a German professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who is the head coach of Austrian Footb ...
, and American Clint Dempsey
Clinton Drew Dempsey (; born March 9, 1983) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a forward and midfielder. During his career, he played in the Premier League for Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur and in Major League Soccer ...
as the only players to score at the 2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, 2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
and 2014 FIFA World Cups.
On 18 June, Cahill scored Australia's first goal against the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
in their 3–2 defeat; a strike which has been considered by some experts as one of the best goals ever scored in a World Cup. Cahill's goal was later nominated for the best World Cup goal in the tournament but fell short to the eventual winner James Rodríguez
James David Rodríguez Rubio (born 12 July 1991) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or a winger for Super League Greece club Olympiacos and the Colombia national team. He has been praised in the past ...
with his goal against Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
.
2015 AFC Asian Cup
Cahill was selected under manager Ange Postecoglou as part of his squad which competed in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. A campaign in which Australia was the host nation with matches hosted across four cities including Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne and Newcastle, Cahill competed well in what became his nation's inaugural Asian Cup title. He scored three goals in the tournament.
2018 FIFA World Cup and retirement
Cahill was chosen to start against Jordan in a top-of-the-group clash, in which he notched a brace on 29 March 2016. Cahill scored the winning goal for the Socceroos
The Australia men's national soccer team represents Australia in international men's soccer. Officially nicknamed the Socceroos, the team is controlled by the governing body for soccer in Australia, Football Australia, which is affiliated wit ...
against the United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
in a 1–0 away victory. He helped Australia reach the inter-confederation play-offs by scoring two goals, including the winning goal in the second half of extra time (in the 19th minute of extra time) in their 2–1 second leg victory against Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
(3–2 on aggregate). On 15 November 2017, he started in the 3–1 win over Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
which saw Australia clinch a spot in the 2018 FIFA World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national Association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awa ...
.
In May 2018, Cahill was named in the World Cup squad by coach Bert van Marwijk
Lambertus van Marwijk (; born 19 May 1952) is a Dutch football manager who was recently the head coach of the United Arab Emirates national team. As a player, he played for the Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV and Fortuna Sittard amongst other club ...
and made a single appearance in the tournament, coming off the bench in the 63rd minute of the 2–0 loss against Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
.
On 16 July 2018, Cahill announced his retirement from international football, subsequently overturned with the decision to participate in one final home friendly against Lebanon in November 2018. He retired with 50 goals (a national team record) in 108 games (the second highest, and just three behind Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer (; born 6 October 1972) is an Australian former professional soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. He represented Australia at international level from 1993 to 2013, and was selected for both the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups ...
).
Personal life
Cahill became involved with two football academies in 2009, one based in Wollongong
Wollongong ( ), colloquially referred to as The Gong, is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near wate ...
, Australia in partnership with Wollongong Police and Community Youth Club
Police & Community Youth Clubs (PCYC) or Police and Community Youth Clubs are a network of Australian non-profit, community organisations, founded in New South Wales. In some states such as NSW, they are constituted as an Incorporated Association ...
, and another in partnership with 'Elite Sporting Academy' in Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
.
Cahill has featured in EA Sports
EA Sports is a division of Electronic Arts that develops and publishes sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to imitate real-life sports networks by calling themselves the "EA Sports Network" ...
' ''FIFA'' video game series, and has featured as a cover star on several editions of the game.
In 2010 Cahill married his childhood sweetheart Rebekah Greenhill in Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, en route to Sydney. The couple have four children, Kyah (son, born 2003), Shae (son, born 26 April 2005), Sienna (daughter, born 2007) and Cruz (son, born 2 September 2012). As of 2015, the Cahills owned homes in Sydney, Florida, New York, Shanghai, and England.
Cahill is heavily involved with the UNICEF
UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...
children's charity.
Cahill's business career is diverse across a range of industries. BRW quoted his net worth to be $28 million in 2014.
Cahill lived in Saddle River, New Jersey
Saddle River is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located just over northwest of Manhattan. The town is known for its natural fields, farmland, forests, and rivers, and has a bucolic atmos ...
while playing for the Red Bulls.
Cahill was officially announced as an ambassador for Australia's Securities Broker ACY Securities on 30 October 2019.
In 2021, Cahill joined the board of directors of K.A.S. Eupen
K.A.S. Eupen (short for Königliche Allgemeine Sportvereinigung Eupen, English: ''Royal General Sports Association Eupen'', simply referred to as Eupen) is a Belgian professional association football club located in Eupen, Province of Liège, whi ...
.
Career statistics
Club
*1.Includes other competitive competitions, including the Football League Trophy
The English Football League Trophy, known for sponsorship purposes as the Papa Johns Trophy after restaurant chain Papa John's Pizza, is an annual English association football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL Le ...
and Football League play-offs
The English Football League play-offs are a series of play-off matches contested by the four association football teams finishing immediately below the automatic promotion places in the second, third and fourth tiers of the English football leagu ...
.
International
Honours
In the 2021 Australia Day Honours Cahill was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...
for " distinguished service to football as an elite player at the national and international level, and to charitable and sports organisations ".
In June 2013, the Cahill Expressway
The Cahill Expressway is an urban freeway in Sydney and was the first freeway constructed in Australia, opening to traffic in 1958. It starts from the Eastern Distributor and Cross City Tunnel in Woolloomooloo, and runs through a series of s ...
in Sydney was temporarily renamed the Tim Cahill Expressway in his honour ahead of the Socceroos' 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
. Football Federation Australia
Football Australia is the governing body of soccer, futsal, and beach soccer within Australia, headquartered in Sydney. Although the first governing body of the sport was founded in 1911, Football Australia in its current form was only esta ...
representatives suggested the name change should be made permanently should Cahill score the goal that led to Australia's qualification for the 2014 World Cup.
Millwall
* Football League Second Division
The Football League Second Division was the second level division in the English football league system between 1892 and 1992. Following the foundation of the FA Premier League, the Football League divisions were renumbered and the third ti ...
: 2000–01
* FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
runner-up: 2003–04
* Football League Trophy
The English Football League Trophy, known for sponsorship purposes as the Papa Johns Trophy after restaurant chain Papa John's Pizza, is an annual English association football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL Le ...
runner-up: 1998–99
Everton
* FA Cup runner-up: 2008–09
New York Red Bulls
* MLS Supporter's Shield: 2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
Shanghai Shenhua
* Chinese FA Cup
The Chinese FA Cup (, abbreviated as CFA Cup) is the national knockout cup competition in China organized by the Chinese Football Association. Its current holders are Shandong Taishan, having beaten Shanghai Port in 2021 for a record seventh tit ...
runner-up: 2015
Melbourne City
* FFA Cup
The Australia Cup, formerly known as the FFA Cup until the 2021 season, is the national football knockout cup competition in Australia. This annual competition is organised by Football Australia, formerly known as Football Federation Austral ...
: 2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
Australia
* AFC Asian Cup
The AFC Asian Cup is the primary association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), determining the continental champion of Asia. It is the second oldest cont ...
: 2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
* OFC Nations Cup
The OFC Nations Cup is an international association football tournament held among the OFC member nations. It was held every two years from 1996 to 2004; before 1996 there were two other tournaments held at irregular intervals, under the name ...
: 2004
Individual
* Oceania Footballer of the Year
The Oceania Footballer of the Year award is presented each year to the best football (soccer) player from the Oceania region, as chosen by a panel of football journalists. The award was dominated by Australian players until that nation became part ...
: 2004
* PFA First Division Team of the Year: 2003–04
* AFC Asian Cup
The AFC Asian Cup is the primary association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), determining the continental champion of Asia. It is the second oldest cont ...
Goal of the tournament: 2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
* AFC Asian Cup
The AFC Asian Cup is the primary association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), determining the continental champion of Asia. It is the second oldest cont ...
Team of the tournament: 2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
* A-League Goal of the Year: 2016–17
* AFC Asian Icon: 6 December 2017
* AFC Opta All-time World Cup XI: 2020
* Australian Professional Football Association Player of the Year: 2008–09
* Australia's greatest ever team: 2012
* MLS
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
Player of the Week 2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
: Week 9
* MLS Best XI The MLS Best XI is an annual acknowledgment of the best eleven players in Major League Soccer.
Winners
*Players in bold were awarded the Landon Donovan MVP Award for that season.
Most appearances by a player
The following players have appeared ...
: 2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
* MLS All-Stars: 2014
* Best MLS Player ESPY Award
The Best MLS Player ESPY Award is an annual award honoring the achievements of an individual from the world of Major League Soccer (MLS). It was first awarded as part of the ESPY Awards in 2006. The Best MLS Player ESPY Award trophy, designed b ...
: 2014
* FIFA World Cup Man of the Match
** 2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
: vs Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
(GS)
** 2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
: vs Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
(GS)
* Everton Player of the Season: 2004–05[Career Statistics](_blank)
. Tim Cahill. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
* Everton Players' Player of the Season: 2004–05
* Everton top goalscorer of the season: 2004–05
* New York Red Bulls
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...
Most valuable player: 2013[ ]
* New York Red Bulls
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...
Goal of the Year: 2013
* New York Red Bulls
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...
Golden boot: 2013
* Ballon d’Or
The Ballon d'Or (; ) is an annual football award presented by French news magazine ''France Football'' since 1956. Between 2010 and 2015, in an agreement with FIFA, the award was temporarily merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year (fo ...
: 2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
(Nominee)
* FIFA Puskás Award
The FIFA Puskás Award is an award established on 20 October 2009 by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association ( FIFA), at the behest of then-president Sepp Blatter, to be awarded to the male or female judged to have scored the mo ...
nominee: 2014
Achievements
* First Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal A ...
to score at the World Cup Finals
* First Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal A ...
to score at the Asian Cup Finals
* First Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal A ...
to be honoured a FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
Man of the match award
* First Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal A ...
to score at three FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
s: 2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, 2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
, 2014
* Most Goals by an Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal A ...
at the World Cup Finals (see List of FIFA World Cup Goalscorers
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
)
* Most Goals by an Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal A ...
at the Asian Cup Finals (see List of AFC Asian Cup Goalscorers)
* Australia's oldest ever goalscorer: (37 years and 308 days) goals against Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
in 2017
* First Everton player since Neville Southall
Neville Southall (born 16 September 1958) is a Welsh former international footballer. He has been described as one of the best goalkeepers of his generation and won the FWA Footballer of the Year award in 1985.
He joined Bury from Winsford ...
in 1988
File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...
to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or
The Ballon d'Or (; ) is an annual football award presented by French news magazine ''France Football'' since 1956. Between 2010 and 2015, in an agreement with FIFA, the award was temporarily merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year (fo ...
* First Everton player since Dixie Dean in 1931 to score in three separate Merseyside derbies at Anfield
Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892. ...
* Has scored more post-war league goals against Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
than any other Everton player
* Has the record for scoring the fastest goal in MLS
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
history. On 20 October 2013, Cahill scored within the first 7 seconds of the game against Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo FC (formerly officially, but still commonly, called the Houston Dynamo) is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The Dynamo compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Establi ...
Tim Cahill scores fastest goal in MLS history
Retrieved 21 October 2013.
See also
*
List of top international men's football goalscorers by country
*
List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
In men's association football, a cap is traditionally awarded in international football to a player making an official match appearance for their national team. In total, over 600 players have played in 100 or more international matches. The re ...
*
List of men's footballers with 50 or more international goals
In total, 76 male footballers to date have scored at least 50 goals with their national team at senior level, according to FIFA documents and RSSSF statistics. Since October 2021, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been also publish ...
*
List of Australia international soccer players
The Australia men's national soccer team represents the country of Australia in international association football. It is fielded by Football Australia, the governing body of soccer in Australia, and competes as a member of the Asian Footbal ...
References
External links
*
*
Tim Cahillat the Everton website
*
*
Tim Cahillat Football-Lineups.com
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cahill, Tim
1979 births
Living people
AFC Asian Cup-winning players
A-League Men players
Association football forwards
Association football midfielders
Australia international soccer players
Australian expatriate soccer players
Expatriate footballers in China
Expatriate footballers in England
Expatriate footballers in India
Expatriate soccer players in the United States
Australian expatriate sportspeople in China
Australian expatriate sportspeople in England
Australian expatriate sportspeople in India
Australian expatriate sportspeople in the United States
Australian people of Irish descent
Australian sportspeople of Samoan descent
Australian soccer players
Chinese Super League players
Officers of the Order of Australia
Designated Players (MLS)
English Football League players
Everton F.C. players
FIFA Century Club
Footballers at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Indian Super League players
Jamshedpur FC players
Major League Soccer All-Stars
Major League Soccer players
Marquee players (A-League Men)
Melbourne City FC players
Millwall F.C. players
New York Red Bulls players
Olympic soccer players of Australia
People with acquired Samoan citizenship
Premier League players
Samoa under-20 international footballers
Samoan footballers
Samoan people of Irish descent
Shanghai Shenhua F.C. players
Soccer players from Sydney
Sportsmen from New South Wales
Stanley family (rugby)
Zhejiang Professional F.C. players
FA Cup Final players
2004 OFC Nations Cup players
2005 FIFA Confederations Cup players
2006 FIFA World Cup players
2007 AFC Asian Cup players
2010 FIFA World Cup players
2011 AFC Asian Cup players
2014 FIFA World Cup players
2015 AFC Asian Cup players
2017 FIFA Confederations Cup players
2018 FIFA World Cup players