Following the speculation of Tim Cahill’s return to Millwall, yesterday evening the club confirmed he was back with us at The Den.
The 38 year old Australian international has put pen to paper on a contract until the end of the current campaign and he admitted it was ‘hard to put into words’ his feelings on returning to the club after all these years.
Speaking to the official site he explained.
‘It’s an amazing feeling. To finally come home and to join Neil Harris, David Livermore and all the lads will be really special. I can’t wait to greet the fans, meet my new team-mates – it’s one of those things where it’s meant to be. It’s hard to put into words what it feels like to wear a Millwall shirt once again. I’m still taking it in now. The first thing I wanted to do when with Neil was to walk on the pitch and in the tunnel and have that feeling again that brings back so many memories. Once you go over that white line, you get a nervous sensation back that I had when I was a 16-year-old when I first signed here.’
Cahill made no secret of the fact that he’s after regular action to secure his place in the 2018 World Cup squad for his country, but again the ‘romance’ of returning home more than ticks that box.
‘I’m really happy. I’ve had a great career as a footballer, but to come here now at this stage of my career, with eyes on a World Cup place, it’s such a professional environment. It’s familiar. Not much has really changed, which is surprising, but it’s nice to come back to where I was as a kid. The romance of the story is definitely not lost on me. I’ve always said that if I came back to England, I’d come home. Millwall is where I learnt my trade and it was the most important learning period of my life – my apprenticeship in understanding football. To come home to where it all started, it’s emotional, but it’s happy emotions, because you wish for it to happen, you want it to happen, but when it finally comes to fruition, it’s the perfect move.’
Cahill obviously had fond words for the club and Neil Harris.
‘I use Millwall as an example to any footballer. If you can play at Millwall, you can play anywhere. I stayed as long as I could before moving on to the Premier League. There’s a whole understanding to playing for your club – it’s a responsibility for your fans. The connection with your fans is the most important thing for me. With social media today, they’ve stayed in touch and I feel like I’ve never been away. I’ve followed the highs and lows and what Neil has done with the football club. The stability, the infrastructure and the vision moving forward in what they want to achieve – I’m really proud of everyone at the football club. More importantly, and to me as a player, it’s all about the fans. The loyalty side which I’ve consistently had throughout my career. It’s really special.’
Adding.
‘I was really impressed with the way Neil and David Livermore conducted themselves when we spoke. Yes, we’re mates, but it’s also business. He understands that it’s a results game for him, but I also understand that there’s levels that need to be met.’
Harris himself was delighted to get him back to the club and he knew he’d have an important role to play purely as a role model.
‘I’m naturally really pleased. First and foremost, Tim comes with a wealth of experience. Not just in the footballing world, but for this football club. It might have been just over 13 years since he left, but this place doesn’t change. There’s still the same morals and principles and it’s a workman-like football club. Tim has been around the world playing, but his attitude, his discipline and his lifestyle hasn’t changed one bit. In so many ways, he is still the kid I used to share a dressing room with years ago.’
He went on to add.
‘The players will thrive off the enthusiasm that he brings. When I played with him, I appreciated what he did. Since then, I’ve followed his career and admired what he has done and I know full well what he can bring to my dressing room. He is a different player to what he was years ago – he plays a little higher up the park now. At 38, he is in terrific shape. To start with, we are thinking about impact – someone to come off of the bench and give us that little lift, someone to lift the crowd and someone to pass on that knowledge when in front or behind.’
Harris ended by saying.
‘What he will bring into the dressing room is standards and leadership. He lives his life in the right manner. He’ll be the first in and the last to leave. He’ll add to the leadership we already have at the club in Steve Morison and Tony Craig. Because of the shape he is in, he’ll demand everyone is at that level. At 3pm on a Saturday afternoon we’ll have a benefit, but from 9-5 every day of the week, he’ll have an input.’
Vital Millwall on:
