Gary Cahill, the former Chelsea and England defender, finally announced his retirement from the stage of professional football at 36 in an exclusive interview earlier today. He believes this is the time to hang up his boots and leave the seat for younger players to fill.
Cahill tells Sky Sports in an exclusive interview, “I did have options. I could have played in the Premier League with one side, and I had a couple of options in the Championship, which is flattering. The journey had to come to an end at some stage and now is the right time.”
Illustrious career of Gary Cahill
The two-time Premier League winner is remembered the most for his 7 years at Chelsea FC, who bought him for £7 million back in January 2012.
It also brought him one the biggest achievements of his career, that is, being part of the epic team that hoisted the UEFA Champions League trophy in 2012, also collecting eight major honors during his time at Stamford Bridge, including two FA Cups.
The former Chelsea player has also played for England, his national team, at the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2016 Cup, captaining the English side on five occasions.
After he departed from Chelsea as a free agent in 2019, he joined Crystal Palace and, later, AFC Bournemouth in the summer of 2021 after he could not draw close to an agreeable contract with the Eagles a whole lot of speculation back in 2021. But Cahill, who has taken home 61 caps and scored five goals for his country, has been without any club since leaving his club AFC Bournemouth earlier this summer.
“Everyone is different, and I’m not sure yet what I’ll do. I want to take some time away and step back from football and just enjoy watching it…I’ll spend some time with the family. I’ll make a decision on the next chapter in my life after Christmas,” Cahill said when asked about his plans for future endeavors.
The former Bolton and Aston Villa center-back has yet to decide whether he will move into the management line for a career or coaching; only time will tell what awaits him.
