A crucial player for club and country, Cahill is a dynamic box-to-box midfielder who has an uncanny knack of scoring with his head. His lengthy and successful career in England demands respect and he also commands the admiration of Australia, for whom he has been an essential player at international level.

After growing up in Sydney, Cahill signed with Millwall as a teenager, and grew to prominence in that club's dream run to the FA Cup Final in 2003-04. A transfer to the blue half of Liverpool ensued, where he has scored freely in the Premier League ever since, including multiple times in the Merseyside derby.

In the 2008-09 season he demonstrated his value to the Toffees when filling in as a lone striker for a large portion of the season, easing Everton's injury crisis as he notched nine goals to finish the campaign as the club's top scorer. He also captained the side during Phil Neville's absence due to injury during the 2009-10 season and is without doubt one of the first names on David Moyes' team sheet.

One of those players with a knack of scoring important goals, Cahill has the honour of notching Australia's first ever World Cup strikes, and also the Socceroos' first Asian Cup goal. Australia have never lost when Cahill has scored. His two-goal heroics against Japan in Germany 2006 have gone down in Australian football folklore. His 2010 World Cup was less illustrious as he was sent off in the Socceroos' opening game against Germany.

Cahill signed a four-year contract prior to the finals, but fell out of favour in David Moyes' new-look Everton midfield. At the end of the 2011-12 season he made the switch stateside to join the New York Red Bulls.

Strengths: Finishes like a striker, without peer in positional instinct, can work back and tackle between the boxes and is also fiercely competitive, loyal and passionate about club and country. Cahill is also superb when attacking the ball in the air.

Weaknesses: Doesn't possess the creative passing game a modern attacking midfielder should, meaning a team's general play can suffer between the inevitable goals he will bring.

Career high: Scored not one but two critical goals in the dying minutes of Australia's 2006 World Cup opener against Japan, claiming victory from the jaws of defeat as the country claimed their first victory at the finals.

Career low: Drew criticism for celebrating a goal with his wrists in a handcuffed position after his brother Sean had been jailed for physical assault.

Style: Courageous, confident, determined, with a sprinkle of class.

Quotes: "What do I like about Tim Cahill? I like that he is just Tim Cahill. Tim is not just a player. For me, it's the man, the person. Since he came to us from Millwall (in 2004), he has been great for Everton and great for me. He has great maturity." David Moyes, July 2010.

Trivia: Cahill's customary corner flag-punching goal celebration is borrowed from good friend Archie Thompson, while he has dedicated others to his jailed brother, Australian supporters, the Victorian bushfire victims, and the Samoan people affected by the 2009 floods.