They say you can’t teach old dogs new trickks. Well, on the contrary, Tim Cahill might have something to say about that.
There are some footballers it’s simply impossible to dislike. Javier Hernandez’s schoolboy charm meant you forgave him no matter how many times he scored past your despairing goalkeeper. Dimitri Payet, well, he’s just too damn entertaining, who wants to ruin such a spectacle? Right, Middlesbrough?
Tim Cahill falls into the same, distinct category. A 5ft 10 ins jack-in-the-box of a forward, few players have perfected that all-too-rare ability to time a run to perfection, arrive in the box late and out of sight. Frank Lampard had it. Paul Scholes had it. And Tim Cahill had it, utilising his salmon-esque leap to devastating effect across eight years and 226 Premier League appearances with Everton.
However, four years after he immigrated to the deluxe retirement home of the USA and New York Red Bulls, Cahill’s still strapping on the shin pads at the age of 36. And that just makes moments such as these even more remarkable.
Just 27 minutes into his A-League debut for Melbourne City, the ball drops loose 35 yards from goal. Seconds later, it crashes into the visitors net, soaring over a stunned goalkeeper at a rate of knots. Quite simply, this is one of the greatest volleys you’ll see all season from a man who has made a career in heading.
If he wasn’t a legend in his homeland already, Tim Cahill is already bringing much-needed attention to the often disregarded world of Australian football.
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