Everton fans’ favourite Tim Cahill is being primed for a return to the Blues having taken an unconventional potential route back to Goodison Park.
Cahill advised Farhad Moshiri on the managerial search that brought Frank Lampard to the club and the Everton owner spoke glowingly about the 42-year-old in an interview with the club on Monday with the ECHO understanding the club’s majority shareholder has been impressed with his knowledge of the game.
Having made 278 appearances for the Blues as a player, scoring 68 goals, Cahill is now being lined up for a formal part-time role at the club.
So just what has the former Australia World Cup hero been up to since hanging up his boots in 2019 and how has that brought him to the brink of an Everton return?
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Football administrator – and Evertonian – Sebastian Hassett, the Head of Government Relations & Facilities at Football Victoria in Cahill’s homeland explained.
Hassett told the ECHO: “Tim’s always been one to follow his own path and that self-belief is also his greatest strength.
“He was told he was too short to play football – and ended up as one of the greatest headers of the ball the game has seen.
“He fought FIFA to represent Australia; he not only went on to represent Australia but FIFA, too.
“I’ve never met someone so unequivocally determined to succeed in everything he touches and whose energy levels remain indefatigably high.
“Tim only joined Aspire (a Qatari-based sports academy) as Chief Sports Officer and the board of KAS Eupen (a Belgian top flight club) last year but has had a decade-long relationship with the leadership at Aspire, so it was no surprise when he moved to Doha.
“Due to the pandemic, he probably hasn’t had the opportunity to put his full stamp on either project, but I know he has been focused on driving culture and performance.
“While Aspire and Eupen have major financial backing, Tim’s role is more about shaping a culture of success that extends beyond monetary resources to win matches and develop elite athletes.”
During his playing career, Cahill would regularly have to make long-haul flights while on international duty – he was capped 108 times by Australia, scoring 50 goals – and he continues to maintain interests across several continents now.
Hassett said: “Tim’s just got this extraordinary energy and will to win. I think rejection early on in his playing career lit a fire inside of him that just won’t burn out, even today.
“As a player, he would always talk about looking for ‘the next thing, the next goal, the next match, the next idea’ – even after he’d accomplished something extraordinary.
“That relentless drive and commitment to attacking life did not wear off when he hung up the boots.
“It’s why I’d warn against anyone underestimating him now despite any perceived lack of administrative experience.”
He added: “Tim has carved out a truly international life but he’s still held in the highest esteem by Australians, particularly for his deeds with Everton and with the Socceroos.
“He’s always aspired to create that particular lifestyle and whilst Australia is his home, it’s no surprise that he’s drifted back to the game’s European heartland whilst also finding an ambitious project in Qatar.
“He’ll be forever chasing big ideas that both satisfy his curiosity and offer a challenge.”
Hassett believes that getting Cahill back on board in any capacity at Goodison Park can only be beneficial as the positive character traits he possesses have been sadly lacking around the first team in recent times.
He said: “Few players in the history of Everton have synergised with the club as well as Tim Cahill.
“He wasn’t the most skilled player but that was simply overwhelmed by his desire to win and his refusal to lose.
“That mentality ultimately became infectious and Everton always seemed ‘find a way’ when he was present.
“This Everton squad isn’t short on talent but Cahill would walk into the Starting XI because he would infuse those around him with belief and desire.
“Right now, this squad is totally bereft of those very qualities.
“In a backroom role, he can do the next best thing, which is to use his personality to drive those who aren’t performing to lift to a higher level – either by cuddling or cajoling, both of which I’ve seen him do.
“There is something about his presence and self-confidence that is extremely compelling. He still carries an aura and energy that would lift any dressing room.”
If Cahill is taken on, he would be following a recent trend of elevating former Everton players to senior positions at the club after Graeme Sharp’s appointment to the board and that’s something that Hassett also welcomes – provided they’re the right individuals.
He said: “I’m always pleased when Everton legends are involved in the club – but only if they are delivering meaningfully in driving us forward.
“If former players train themselves up to become world class coaches or administrators, then I’d absolutely welcome them back in key decision-making roles.
“But nor can they be occupying places that would be better suited to the sport’s best and brightest.
“We need to find the balance between tapping into the DNA of the club’s history and bringing in those with a ruthless zeal to improve Everton. The Premier League is now too fierce to be relying on sentiment to drive success.”
Finally, as a Blues fan himself, Hassett is just hoping for a revival under new manager Frank Lampard after the turbulent downwards spiral under Rafa Benitez.
He said: “Frank certainly isn't the worst choice. I’d have liked him to have had some prolonged stints where he could really refine his ideas about what it is to be a manager, what his philosophy is and how he goes about teaching that to players.
“Is he quite there yet? Hopefully, but we can’t say for sure.
“His record at Derby and Chelsea was – for the most part – largely positive, albeit the sample size feels a little small to be reading much into his managerial acumen. We’ll learn a lot more about him here.
“I like the new signings: the risk-reward ratio on Dele Alli and Donny van de Beek is firmly in our favour.
“Perhaps we have finally learned that we can’t keep absorbing all the risk. Well-run clubs understand this balance.
“So for now, given the precariousness of where Everton sit, and the calamity of the Benitez era, we must be prepared to back Lampard and give him the benefit of the doubt.
“His work ethic as a player was legendary and his determination to drag his teammates to success was unmistakable.
“If he can find similar qualities as a manager, it will be the silver lining to an otherwise dreadful season.”
