Gary Cahill: Chelsea Player 2012 to 2019

There is an extent to which there was something decidedly ‘unsexy’ about Gary Cahill. Playing for Aston Villa and then Bolton Wanderers, with loan moves to Burnley and Sheffield United thrown in, isn’t exactly the sort of thing that gets Chelsea hearts pumping. Yet the no-nonsense centre-back made more than 200 appearances for the Blues and left the club having won multiple league winners’ medals, in addition to European trophies and domestic cups, so he might well deserve some more respect given to his name. In fact, such was the respect given to Cahill by his teammates that he was made captain after John Terry’s departure.

Gary Cahill’s Honours as a Chelsea Player

Who is Gary Cahill?

Born in Dronfield, Derbyshire, on the 19th of December 1985, Gary James Cahill was raised in the area and supported Sheffield Wednesday when he was younger. His football career began with the Sunday league side AFC Dronfield, playing there until he was 15-years-old. At that point, Cahill was scouted by numerous clubs, with the likes of Barnsley, Derby County and his boyhood club Sheffield Wednesday all sniffing around. It was Aston Villa that Cahill decided to join the Academy of, however, and moved from midfield to defence after shooting up in height when was about 16. That was the point that he was hoping to get a YTS contract.

From Aston Villa’s Academy, Cahill was sent to Burnley on loan to get some experience. He played for the Clarets 32 times, with 27 of those being in the Championship. After that it was another loan move, this time with Sheffield United. He made 16 appearances for the Blades before heading back to Villa. In the transfer window of January 2008, the likes of Bolton Wanderers, Birmingham City and Turkish side Beşiktaş were all keen on signing Cahill. It was Bolton Wanderers that he eventually moved to, signing for them on the 30th of January on a three-and-a-half year deal, making his debut a few days later in a win over Reading.

Signing for Chelsea

Cahill enjoyed a mixed time at Bolton, doing well enough to sign a new contract in the August of 2009 but missing several months of play after suffering a blood clot in his arm in 2010. Even so, he cemented his place in the Bolton defence and earned plenty of admirers. One such team that liked the look of him was Chelsea, who began negotiations for his signature in the December of 2011. A week later and a fee was agreed, with Cahill still playing for Bolton and even scoring the winning goal for them in a 2-1 win over Everton at Goodison Park. Cahill signed for Chelsea on the 16th of January for a fee believed to be £7 million.

His debut for the club came in a 3-3 home draw against Manchester United, then he scored his first goal in an FA Cup tie against Leicester City. His first league goal came in the following match against Manchester City, which proved to be a consolation goal in a 2-1 loss. When Chelsea reached the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, Cahill started and made some crucial tackles in a game that finished 1-0. He suffered a hamstring injury in the second-leg, meaning that he was under pressure to make it back for the final. He was, starting the game and being part of the team that helped Chelsea defeat Bayern Munich to win the competition for the first time.

More Success & Becoming Captain

Cahill started in the FIFA Club World Cup match against Corinthians, but was sent off after a clash with Emerson and the Blues went on to lose the game 1-0. In spite of winning the Champions League in the 2011-2012 season, the Blues finished third in their group and ended up dropping down to the Europa League. It was part of the reason why Roberto Di Matteo was sacked, with former Liverpool manager Rafa Benítez coming in to replace him. On the 15th of May, Benítez started Cahill in the Europa League final against Benfica. It proved to be a smart move, with the defender making a crucial tackle in the dying minutes to secure a 2-1 win. More goals came for Cahill under different managers, as did more trophies.

One such trophy was the League Cup in 2015, which Chelsea won thanks to a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur. The Blues also won the Premier League, finishing the season with 87 points and helping Cahill be named as part of the PFA Team of the Year. On the second of December, Cahill signed a new contract that would keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2019. When Antonio Conte came in as manager, he kept the defensive partnership of Cahill and John Terry and on the 27th of August 2016 he made his 200th appearance for the club. Less than a month later and injuries to Terry and Branislav Ivanovic meant that Cahill was named as captain.

It was a taste of things to come. When John Terry departed the club in the summer of 2017, a decision was taken to give Cahill the captaincy on a permanent basis. In his first match of the season, with the Blues defending champions, Cahill was sent off against Burnley. It was part of a disastrous game for the Blues, who lost 3-2 to a side that had only won away from home once in the previous campaign. He missed the games against Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Leicester City as a result of the red card. At the end of the season, Cahill was the match captain as Chelsea beat Manchester United 1-0 in the FA Cup final.

Leaving Chelsea

Chelsea is a club that is used to regularly having new managers arrive, so the fact that Maurizio Sarri was in charge for the 2018-2019 campaign might not have been much of a shock for anyone. That he chose to all but drop Gary Cahill might well have raised a few eyebrows, however. The Italian played him just nine times all season, leading the England international to declare that he would leave the club at the end of the campaign. His last appearance came in the final home match of the season, coming on in the 88th minute of a 3-0 win over Watford to rapturous applause from home supporters who appreciated what he’d given for the club.

He chose not to go too far out of London, however. Cahill signed for Crystal Palace on a two-year contract on the fifth of August 2019. It saw him re-united with Roy Hodgson, for whom he’d played when Hodgson was the England manager. His debut came at Old Trafford in a 2-1 win for the Eagles. When his contract expired he left the club, signing for the Championship side AFC Bournemouth and was named the club’s Player of the Month when the Cherries conceded just two goal in the September of 2021. He was sent off in the January of 2022 and saw his playing time limited, announcing his retirement from football on the 16th of November.