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Football London
Football London
Sport
Greg Johnson

Tim Cahill's first words as former Everton and Millwall legend retires from football at 39

Australian football icon Tim Cahill has called time on his playing career at the age of 39.

Best remembered in England for his spells with Everton and Millwall, with whom he reached an FA Cup final in 2004, the midfielder made 260 appearancs for the Lions across two stints in Bermondsey.

He also scored one of the most celebrating goals in recent World Cup history as he volleyed the ball past Netherlands goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen in the 2014 tournament held in Brazil.

In total, he won 108 caps for the Socceroos and played for seven clubs at a senior level, having moved from Sydney as a youngster in 1997 to start his professional career in London.

 

Cahill announced his decision to retire on Twitter. In a message posted to his official account, he said: "The most powerful thing is chasing your dreams.

"As a kid all I ever wanted to be was a footballer. It's been amazing to have played the game I love professionally for 23 years.

Tim Cahill of Millwall celebrates scoring with Neil Harris against Sunderland at Old Trafford. (Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)

"I want to say thank you to everyone that was a part of this journey. Time to retire and more family time."

In an interview with Australian broadcaster Optus Sport aired prior to the announcement he said: "I'm an old man now in football years.

"I’d love to keep playing but I’m interested in TV. I'm going to start my [coaching] A licence, spend quality time with my family and chill out for a bit.

Millwall and Everton favourite Tim Cahill reveals the reason for his no-show as a BBC pundit  

"It was amazing to play in four big continents. I had a great career and I’m really thankful. I’m someone that massively respects the game and I’ll take my time to learn more.

"Coaching is something that’s definitely going to be on the horizon."

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