Position: Midfield
Squad Number: 17
Date Of Birth: 06.12.79
Birthplace: Sydney
Transfer Fee: Undisclosed
Previous Clubs: Sydney United, Millwall THE signing of Tim Cahill was met with a sigh of relief by many Evertonians, coming as it did in the latter half of a summer search for midfielders that was starting to look fruitless. It had appeared the midfielder was set for a move from Millwall to newly-promoted Crystal Palace, but complications regarding an agent's fee plus the issue of Cahill appearing at the Athens Olympics in August led to the breakdown of the move and enabled the Blues to get their man. The Australian international rose to prominence during Millwall's run to the F.A. Cup Final in 2003/04 but his determination to succeed has been evident for some time. At the age of only 16, Cahill travelled halfway round the world to try and forge a career in the English game. It took some time for the ex-Sydney United midfielder to make his mark in South London but he became an integral part in the impressive unit taking shape under the tutelage of Dennis Wise and Ray Wilkins, scoring vital goals at the quarter and semi-final stages of Millwall's run to Cardiff against Tranmere Rovers and Sunderland respectively. Tim made his debut at international level at the age of 14 for Western Samoa but has since become eligible for his native Australia, scoring five times in his first two appearances. An outstanding first season in the Premiership saw Tim finish as the club's top scorer, earning him the accolade of being named Everton's Player of the Season. The Australian international was duly rewarded with a new five year deal in the summer of 2005. He continued to be a key figure for the Blues during the 2005/06 campaign. Despite a knee injury sustained in April, Cahill made a speedy recovery to appear and score in Australia's World Cup campaign in Germany. Australia were dumped out of the contest by a cruel last-minute penalty in their game against Italy. He became the first Australian player to score twice in the same World Cup finals game after netting two in the dying minutes of the Socceroos' opening game with Japan. Upon returning to the Premiership, a promising start to Cahill's 2006/2007 season was wrecked by a bizarre collision with team-mate Lee Carsley, tearing ligaments in his knee and keeping him out of action for two months. Cahill was soon hit by injury again, ruling him out for the rest of the season and casting doubts on his fitness for Australia's upcoming Asian Cup campaign. | 
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