Cahill puts Everton first after mixed World Cup

Tim Cahill has refused to commit to Australia’s AFC Asian Cup campaign in January and insisted he is putting Everton first before considering whether he will play in another World Cup.

Cahill, who endured a mixed World Cup campaign with a controversial red card in the fateful opening loss to Germany before scoring in the defeat of Serbia, returns to action on Saturday when Everton take on A-League champions Sydney FC in the first match of their pre-season tour of Cahill’s native Australia.

Cahill will be 34 when the World Cup next takes place and when asked about his aspirations to take part in the tournament in Brazil, he said: “My main focus now is Everton. I think as long as I stay fit and keep playing consistently then I’ll be happy – we’ll see what happens in four years.”

However, Everton manager David Moyes believes the player has the longevity to play a key role in Australia’s next World Cup campaign. Moyes – speaking at a press conference to promote Everton’s tour, which also includes matches against Melbourne Heart and Brisbane Roar – said: “I think he is fit enough to see another World Cup. I think he’ll be strong enough and able to go for another one – so hopefully it’s not his last one.”

Cahill declared himself ready to return to club duties despite having barely had a rest this year, but when attention turned to the Socceroos’ 2011 Asian Cup campaign, he would not commit to the three-week tournament, which begins on January 7 in Qatar.

Cahill said: “I’m lucky I’ve got a great relationship with the manager and the players and the whole staff. It’s all about being sensible. I’m lucky I’ve got the right people to talk to and assess that situation when it comes to it.”

Moyes insisted he would not stand in Cahill’s way should he choose to play for his country, saying: “If it comes in under the FIFA regulations we always abide by them. We admire Tim because we’ve all travelled out here from England and our players are all still in their beds with jetlag. For Tim to travel out here and play (for the Socceroos) and then return to play in the Premier League is an incredibly hard thing to do. It should never be underestimated how difficult that is.”

On Cahill’s dismissal against Germany, Moyes added: “When I saw the sending off I thought it was a terrible decision. Tim prepared all through the year. To get sent off for that could have ruled him out of the whole World Cup.”

With a rollercoaster World Cup out of the way, Cahill said he is just looking forward to the upcoming club season: “I think the best thing for me is focusing on this pre-season and a big season because we put so much time and effort in every year to be as good as we can be and set some targets that we like to live up to.”

Cahill was quick to allay fears he has not had a long enough break following the World Cup: “I think I’m lucky, the gaffer is not putting me through my paces too much. This is my country and I want to represent my country and my club as best as I possibly can but there’s a programme in place for me where I’m not getting flogged and they’re very sensitive to me. So I am getting my break and getting my right time (to recover) and obviously looking forward to being a part of this tour.”

Moyes hopes the change of scenery will translate into early season success when the Premier League campaign starts on August 14.

Moyes said: “We’ve tended to choose America in recent years but we’ve not started the season too well in the last couple of years, so I’m hoping Australia brings us a bit of luck.”