Tim Cahill - interview

How are you feeling now after what happened to you personally in the World Cup? Getting sent off against Germany was the saddest moment I've faced in my career so far. It hit me really hard. It just proves how dreams can be crushed in seconds. In football you can be a hero one moment and hit the bottom the next.

Is it safe to presume you have been instrumental in teeing up Everton’s pre-season tour of Australia? I've been telling everyone at Everton about how fantastic it is at home for years. Not just the country itself, but the support for football. I hope football fans come out in force to show just how passionate they are.

Everton will be playing Sydney FC, newcomers Melbourne Heart and Brisbane Roar on this tour. What do you honestly think of the standard of A-League now? I watch the highlights. It's slowly getting there; they're adding more teams, the level is getting better.

Do you think you might finish your playing days in Australia? Yeah, you never know. I can't see myself quitting before I'm 35 or even longer than that. I'm very fit. I pride myself on playing a lot of games. I've played over 400 games now and I hope to play another 200, 250 maybe. It's all about the way I look after my body. I've got a very fond attachment to Australia but I won't be rushing home too soon because I want to get as much football at the highest level
 I can before I come home.

As an Australian playing in England, with the distances involved, have you ever been put under pressure to choose club over country? The easiest answer is I can't be asked to choose because either I want to play for Australia or I don't. It's as simple as that. I always want to play for Australia so you'll see me on that plane regardless. I feel that the gaffer [David Moyes] knows my personality and that I want to do as well as I can domestically and internationally.

Can you explain why you've become such a cult hero at Everton? Every time I score, the passion comes out and I try to relay that back to the fans and to the players and the staff at how grateful I am to be playing for such a good football club. I am part of the furniture at Everton but I don't take it for granted.

Do you think you might have won more honours and recognition if you'd gone to a bigger club? Is the grass always greener? Is it the right situation for you and your family and you as a player? I feel that I am achieving a lot at Everton. It's unfortunate that I haven't won them big awards. But who knows? Maybe one day. But beating Liverpool is like winning an FA Cup. Once you've played for Everton and know what it is to be a Blue, then you know what it means to beat Liverpool.

Would you ever consider a move to Liverpool if they made an offer? Never. Never, never. No money in this world could convince me to play for Liverpool. That's not a lack of respect for Liverpool supporters or the football club. It's respect for the Everton supporters. You just can't do that. It goes against everything that I stand for. No chance.

What's the story behind your trademark celebration of boxing the corner flag when you score? It's from [fellow Socceroo] Archie Thompson. Archie did a kung-fu celebration and I said: "That's quality, I love your celebration." And he said: "Do it. Take it to the Premiership." So I adapted it and it's stuck now. Archie's trying to buy it back off me but he can't have it.

You like to dedicate your goals, don't you? You dedicated a goal to the people affected by the bushfires in Victoria. People mourn in different ways. I just felt I had to put that [black] armband on and go on that pitch carrying Australia on my arm. And then when I scored, [Everton captain] Phil Neville is pointing to my arm and the lads are cuddling me and it felt so magical; it felt like the weight had been lifted off my shoulders just for those few seconds.

Your loyalty has occasionally got you in trouble - notably when you made the handcuff gesture upon scoring in tribute to your brother, Sean, who is in prison for GBH... You can only stand by your family and you can only stand by your country. You just have to take it in your stride and show your respects at every level you can. People know what I am all about. I don't hide;
 I always put myself out there.

Tell us about your tattoos. I'm a very traditional person. The tattoos are about my grandmother dying and they tell the story about my mother and father, my brothers and my sister, my kids. It's pretty much a family tree on my arm with my life in football too. I've only ever had two football clubs - Millwall and Everton - and they are the only [ones] that mean a lot to me. That appreciation is something I carry on my arm as a mark of respect. The story is obviously not finished.

What do you want to do after you have finished playing? I want to work with kids and help develop them, show them the right way, the right morals and attitude into how to become a better footballer. Australia has many different cultures but I'd like to bring in the indigenous style, bring their competitiveness, athleticism and raw ability into the frame as well. I feel that with the right training we can find some more superstars who can help to make Australia an even stronger force.

Everton vs Sydney FC ANZ Stadium, Sat 10 Jul

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