• Euro 2012

Cahill happy to win ugly

Gary Cahill is in the swing of things with England © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Hodgson cools Parker fitness fears
  

Gary Cahill has insisted England would have no concerns about winning ugly if it propelled them to European Championship glory.

Cahill capped his first season at Chelsea by helping the side to Champions League glory. Their march to the top prize in European club football was based on backs-to-the-wall wins over Barcelona in the semi-finals and a stubborn display against Bayern Munich in the final.

Chelsea won fans for their resilience as opposed to their brand of football and defender Cahill would take the same again when England bid for glory in Poland and Ukraine this summer.

"Winning is what's on top of everyone's agenda here," Cahill said. "It is whenever you go into a competition like this.

"You look to achieve the best you can and that means getting to the final. Whether that means going there and playing great football or playing backs-to-the-wall football, I don't mind because it is all about winning. Look at Chelsea's success against Barca, that wasn't pretty football but we got the result and that was the main thing."

Cahill arrived at Chelsea from Bolton in January and questions were raised as to how he would handle being thrown into big games. He feels he came through with flying colours and is ready to draw on those experiences whem England face France, Sweden and Ukraine in their group.

"It's been great experience for me playing in those big games and it will stand me in good stead," Cahill said. "If there was criticism people could level at me before, it was I hadn't played in any big games. Hopefully I have put that to bed now and I'm looking forward to playing in even more of these huge games now.

"The Champions League was my biggest test so far. But my next big test now comes with England."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.