Cahill breaks his Lions duck
Saturday, 03 September, 2011
Bolton defender delighted with his first England goal.
By Chris Hatherall
England hero Gary Cahill admits it has been a crazy week but says he is on a real high after ending it by scoring his first international goal for the Three Lions.
Bolton defender Cahill spent much of the week wondering if he would be moving clubs after being heavily linked with a transfer to Arsenal or Tottenham.
But as the transfer deadline came and went he had a chance to put it all behind him by turning out for England in Sofia.
He responded superbly - chesting down a Gareth Barry pass to fire home England's opening goal in an excellent 3-0 victory.
“It’s been a crazy week, it’s been difficult mentally," admitted Cahill. "But once the window shut I knew I was staying. So I get my head down and work hard for Bolton and hard for my country. It meant everything to score my first goal for England."
It may have looked like Cahill's goal celebrations were a little understated, but he says there is a reason for that.
He said: "After I finished it I heard a whistle and I thought it was offside – otherwise I would have looked a lot more excited than that. But I’m over the moon. When I saw the flag was down it was fantastic to get my first goal. But the result was the most important thing and a good performance by the lads.
“There are a lot of young lads come in and that’s only good for England. I’m thankful to get the opportunity and you play with a smile on your face and the more times you can get involved the more you learn from the senior boys."