PLAYED FOR BOTH: GARY CAHILL

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Ahead of Saturday's match with Crystal Palace we caught up with the former Clarets and Eagles defender

2023-11-02T18:00:00.000Z

PLAYED FOR BOTH: GARY CAHILL

Ahead of Saturday's match with Crystal Palace we caught up with the former Clarets and Eagles defender

2023-11-02T18:00:00.000Z

Ahead of Saturday's match with Crystal Palace we caught up with the former Clarets and Eagles defender

It is almost 20 years since an 18-year-old Gary Cahill joined the Clarets on loan from Aston Villa which the former England and Chelsea defender described as an 'amazing platform of development'.

Cahill was brought in by former Clarets boss Steve Cotterill, who stated Cahill would go on to play for England and he went on to earn 61 caps for the Three Lions, playing at two World Cups and Euro 2016.

However, Cahill’s path to the top wasn’t so smooth, as he struggled to break into the side at Villa after returning from his loan spell at Turf Moor, before carving out a reputation at Bolton Wanderers and earning a move to Chelsea, then spending two seasons at Crystal Palace.

As an 18-year-old, Cahill made a huge impression at Burnley during the 2004/05 campaign, winning the Club's Player of the Year & Young Player of the Year award and the former England international said being at the Turf was a fantastic move in his development.

“Yeah, it was amazing, I absolutely loved my time at Burnley. I think I always said it was a massive platform and helped in terms of my progression and growth for me to have the career I did.

"I was in the reserves at Villa at the time when Steve Cotterill approached me and asked if I wanted to go on loan there.

"For me it was brilliant. It gave me that desire and hunger to play in front of crowds, to play for points, and to be given that first taste of first-team football."

Cahill's first game in Claret & Blue came a day after joining the Club and the centre-back recalls his first game against Tottenham in the League Cup was a fantastic experience – but a daunting one being up against strikers Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane!

The former defender said: “I think the first game I played was against Tottenham so it was a baptism of fire, Robbie Keane and Defoe were the two strikers. It was a cup game.

"I was up against it so I was like wow was this the level I needed to get to but I loved it. I loved every minute of it. There were some big players there for me the likes of John McGreal, Frank Sinclair and a few other old, experienced leaders.

"John McGreal I played alongside many times, Michael Duff was there at the time. These boys really helped me progress. Very fond memories really.”

Cahill made over 30 appearances for Burnley during his loan spell, but he always remembers his first senior goal against Stoke City and it was another positive moment for the then young defender.

“I scored a belter against Stoke, it was a little tap-in! I’ve still got a picture, I framed the picture I had a proper baby face.

"I’ve still got the picture in my house. It was my first senior goal, my first taste of playing senior football. It really gave me that hunger for when I went back, I think looking back now. I’ve just done a charity game recently and Martin O’Neill was there, he was manager of Aston Villa at the time.

"I was desperate to play regular first-team football because of the taste I had from going over to playing at Burnley and it gave me that drive to push on and play as many games as I could."

The full interview with Gary can be found in this Saturday's programme which you can purchase online or in and around Turf Moor.