Cahill - Legacy

In memory of

Faataualofa Tuato

Born 3 April 1932, died 27 May 2005

The backbone of our family

The strongest person in my life, along with

my mother Sisifo Tuato Cahill

Taught me everything about my culture,

heritage and beliefs

And the most important lesson of all:

family over everything

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.

Nelson Mandela

ILL NEVER FORGET THE DAY I decided to sign Tim Cahill. Not simply because I was sure Id spotted a fantastic raw talent. It was quite a day all round. It was 2 May 2002. In my last season in charge of Preston wed been searching around for players of ability and seen Millwall a couple of times. This energetic, pugnacious Aussie in midfield stood out.

My first transfer market as Everton manager was about to open and, having seen Tim about the championship a couple of times, I persuaded chairman Bill Kenwright that we should go together to watch Millwall against Birmingham in the second leg of the play-off semi-final. I mentioned to Bill that wed be looking at a couple of guys, including Steven Reid, but, privately, my main attention was going to be on this Aussie fella.

Bill picked me up in his old Jag and we drove down to the New Den in South London. Ive seen some atmospheres in my time as a player and coach, but this was fearsome, let me tell you. Tight streets, low bridges, both sets of fans with a reputation for being a bit feisty; in fact, there was horrible rioting and fighting associated with this tie, and as we drove past the supporters in this elegant old motor they were thumping and banging on the roof and the windows. We had to want to be there.

Millwall lost 01 in the last seconds and thus missed the chance of going to the final in Cardiff. Tim hit the bar with one of what would become his trademark headers with Everton. Immediately after the game, as we drove north, I told Bill that we had to have this guy. What stood out to the naked eye was that he was tremendously effective in both boxes: defensively able and usually the first to head clear, but also with the hunger, ambition and engine to be up in the opposition penalty area quickly afterwards looking to do danger.

Right then, he brought to mind a guy Id always admiredJohn Wark. John would often outscore the strikers at his club because he had this fantastic ability to time when he arrived in and around the box and the means to finish the physical work hed put in to get there. I was sure that this Cahill fella was one from that production line.

When we finally got him to our offices for a meeting with me and the chairman something else happened. His personality knocked our socks off. Not only was I very impressed by this guy in whom I was about to invest a lot of faith and a lot of hope, but Bill was bowled over too. What oozed out of him was not only resolute self-belief but great character. To this day Tim has the ability to charm people, to make them like him or believe in him. In truth, hes a very likeable guy who conducts himself well.

This wont surprise you, but Id mark him down as easily one of the two or three players who most helped me change Everton, one of the best signings Ive ever made. Hes seen, I think, as a major Premier League footballer, but the fact that he came from the lower leagues to the very top and not only managed to bridge that gap with considerable ease but also help rebuild the fortunes and reputation of a leading Premier club is a terrific testimony to his personal and footballing talents.

Beyond his immense character, Id pinpoint two things about Tim. Obviously the first is his world-class aerial ability. Hes among the best ever. But well come back to that. The other is that he has this great tendency to appear when hes most needed. Big games where a win is vital, a match where things are going against you, a draw turned into a single-goal winTim was the fella youd always count on. Any managermore importantly, any fanwill tell you that they treasure a player like that. Priceless.

We got a pretty quick return on our investment if you look at his first-season performance and his debut goal. That header past David James for an away win at Manchester City, just seconds before Tim was sent off, will live as long in the memory as the day we decided to buy him.

Whether he was scoring or not, what was an absolute constant throughout his years for us was that Tim was a real man in training. He trained as hard as he played, and my advice to younger players is to copy that. Train as you mean to play: compete, work, give everything and match day will not only see you perform better but win more. Thats what Tim always gave: 100 per cent, every day.

Physically hed compete with you, mentally hed look for ways to outsmart other players or find their weak points. Both in training and in matches, hed leave a bit on you in the challenge if thats what he felt was important in order to win. He never, ever hid.

Saying all that, what I guess most people will talk about is his remarkable leap. We often tried to figure out what were the elements behind it. Hes not got particularly massive thighs or calf muscles, and what we concluded was that it was a mix of innate timing, hunger to win the ball in all situations and the fact that he was very, very lean. With his extremely low body fat, he was lightas well toned as he was muscularly. Mix all that and getting above bigger men to head the ball becomes both feasible and a great art.

But I want to add to that perception: its one thing to get to the ball, quite another what you do with it. Tim was an absolutely phenomenal header of the ball. Once he got up, he was in a class of his own, whether heading it away from danger or putting it where a keeper couldnt reach it.

Thanks for all those headers, Tim. One other little thing that people often forget is that it takes bravery. You had that in buckets.

However, Ill dare to lift the lid on another side of you. When we completed the medical to sign this promising midfielder from Millwall, it was a massive, massive relief to Tim because of a nasty cruciate ligament injury hed had about a year previously. Footballers sweat over medicals and deals can break down. So when he got the news that hed passed with flying colours there were some tears of relief and happiness. I liked that. I saw it as determination and ambition and a need to push upwards to bigger challenges. Raw desire to win exhibits itself in different ways.

Tim leaving Everton was a terrible wrench for me. Hed been so much a fundamental part of what wed constructed at Goodison. But we knew there would be a moment when he needed a change and going to the New York Red Bulls was a great move for him. I wasnt in the least surprised that he proved himself important there too. I suspect he became really popular in New York, just as he was with Everton fans. In China hes been scoring frequently since he moved to Shanghai and I think his career will, once again, find another level there.

Tims international career with Australia was always something of a difficulty for us when he was at Everton. Usually it meant travel to the other side of the world and international games midweeknot ideal for a Premier League star whos a vital component in a hard-working team. Yet hed always get himself back in time, by hook or by crook, no matter what the distance, no matter how inconvenient the travel, no matter how severe the jet lag or lack of sleep. He fought like a tiger to make sure he could star for his country