By Billy McGee and Christian Jantzen, Macquarie Sports Radio
Australian Football legend Tim Cahill will don the boots for the last time on Tuesday at ANZ Stadium against Lebanon.
It will bring an end to the career of one of Australia’s greatest sportsman in history.
Cahill has played 107 games only behind Mark Schwarzer (109), while he’s also appeared in four World Cup finals.
The 38-year-old has won an Asian Cup with the Socceroos and has notched 50 goals – as the country’s leading goal scorer.
However, Cahill said it was Ange Postecoglou who convinced him to continue to play on till 38.
“Well, this is where you talk about pioneers of the game,” Cahill said.
“I have to give Ange Postecoglou massive, massive wraps because go back four years into that tenure taking over for the Socceroos the environment he created pretty much convincing myself and (Marc) Bresciano to continue playing, being part of the set up, being mentors, leaders, role models for the younger crop.
“Prepping them for big tournaments (and) making sure we’re doing the right things on and off the park and also instilling Mile Jedinak for the new leader of that crop.
“When you look at the World Cup what the World Cup did and how we presented ourselves in Brazil, it set us up for the Asian Cup.
“All through that process from day one he said we’ll win that tournament.
“We went through a rut of maybe seven games not winning leading into the Asian Cup tournament and there were a lot of questions asked of his management style and the players and the group and the pressure of having it in Australia.
“We never took a backward step and that was one of his mottos.”
The Socceroos star will be remembered for his ability to win games for his country along with his freakish ability to score spectacular goals that couldn’t be imagined by fans.
The attacking midfielder/forward has an impressive highlights reel with a double against Japan in 2006, a stunner against the Dutch at the 2014 World Cup and an Asian Cup winner against Syria in 2017, just some of those.
Cahill also admitted although he will be hanging up the boots, he won’t be lost to Australian Football.
“I’ll never say goodbye,” Cahill said.
“I’m saying goodbye for a short time as a footballer, but I’ll always be apart of Australian Football, I’ll always be there for the national team – supporting the game, supporting the players, the staff, the FFA, the fans.
“How do I want to be remembered?
“I want to be remembered as someone who gave everything for his country when he put on the green and gold and someone that did everything that I could.
“You live dreams of people that aspire to be professional athletes and I never took that for granted.
“I struggled to get cleared to play for Australia, I played at a very young age at 24, I’m 39 next month, I made sure that I tried to do the jersey proud and we created memories together.
“So just someone that gave everything for the Socceroos and everyone that supported me.”
Millwall and EPL giants Everton were just a couple of the overseas clubs Cahill played at, while he also returned home to play for Melbourne City in the A-League.
Go well Timmy.
Ange Postecoglou is managed exclusively by The Fordham Company.