Australian veteran back on English radars after starring at Brazil 2014.
Tim Cahill could be making a surprise move back to the English Premier League after hid performances at the World Cup in Brazil made two teams sit up and take notice.
Queens Park Rangers and Sunderland are said to be interested in signing the 34-year-old after being the best player on ground for his country’s first two Pool games.
The former Everton star became the first Australian to score in three successive World Cups with his stunning left-foot volley against Holland widely considered as one of the goals of the tournament.
Cahill, who scored 56 goals in 226 appearances for Everton, left England in 2012 for Major League Soccer side New York Red Bulls, for whom he was named Most Valuable Player after scoring 11 times.
Australia’s all-time leading goalscorer (34 times in 71 internationals) has settled well in the United States, but it is believed he would consider a return to Europe if the right offer came along. He is also being pursued by Sydney FC in the A-League.
Cahill is a legend in his own right in the English Premier League, with even the great Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson admitting he would have loved to have had him in his team.
Having enjoyed a storied career at Everton, winning universal respect, it would be something of a gamble for Cahill to head back to the EPL in the latter stage of his career – particularly with a struggling club, which QPR and Sunderland are likely to be this upcoming season.
Cahill enjoys the lifestyle in New York, as well as earning a hefty salary of $US3.5 million at the Red Bulls – where he counts Arsenal legend Thierry Henry among his teammates.
What is clear, however, is that the champion Socceroos midfielder is intent on keeping himself in the best possible shape for Australia’s hosting of next year’s Asian Cup.
Unlike the World Cup, where the Aussies were brave but beaten in all three games, the Socceroos could well stand a chance of winning the trophy on home soil in their continental championship – which they lost in the final last edition in an extra-time thriller against Japan.
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