Former Chelsea and England defender Gary Cahill has announced his retirement from football aged 36.
Dronfield-born Cahill was most recently on the books of Bournemouth but was released in the summer following the Cherries' promotion to the Premier League. Prior to that, Cahill had a two-year spell with Crystal Palace after leaving Chelsea in 2019, but it was at Stamford Bridge where his career took him to new heights.
During his time with the Blues, Cahill won two Premier League titles, the Champions League, two FA Cups, a League Cup and the Europa League twice. He was also named in the PFA Team of the Year on three occasions, as well as earning 61 caps for England's senior side.
Announcing his retirement in a touching post on Instagram, Cahill said: "Football is a game that has given me so much enjoyment and success and as I make the decision to hang up my boots, I can honestly say I gave it everything I had.
"I've achieved things I once dreamt of, creating some incredible memories. From amazing highs like winning the Champions League and Premier League, to the privilege of captaining my country and Chelsea in an FA Cup winning team will remain with me forever.
"I've also made some fantastic friendships with people across the football world, from teammates, managers, and the unsung heroes behind the scenes, I just want to say a massive thank you.
"Taking the decision to stop playing is not an easy one. I've spent 20 years training every day, putting in the work to be in the best possible shape for matchday to help the teams I've played for be successful.
"I've had time to consider my options and after much deliberation and reflection I feel now is the time to move on to the next stage of my career."
Cahill started his career with Aston Villa after joining their academy aged 15. He was first sent out on loan to Burnley before eventually making his Villa debut in a League Cup tie vs Wycombe Wanderers in September 2005.
The central defender became a well-known figure after scoring his first goal for Villa, an acrobatic overhead kick in the Midlands derby victory over rivals Birmingham. Another loan stint followed, this time with Sheffield United, before Cahill was sold to Bolton in the January transfer window in 2008.
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It was at Bolton where Cahill established himself as one of the most-promising centre-backs in the Premier League, earning his reward of a full England call-up and attracting interest from a number of big clubs. Chelsea came calling in January 2012, signing him for a relatively modest fee of £7million due to his contract being in its final six months.
Cahill competed with the likes of David Luiz and John Terry at Stamford Bridge and proved to be a rock at the back with his no-nonsense defensive displays. He missed the FA Cup final win against Liverpool because of injury but got the nod to start for Chelsea in the Champions League final triumph over Bayern Munich in May 2012 to kick start his trophy haul.
He soon cemented his position at the heart of Chelsea's defence and was a key figure in Chelsea's Premier League title win under Jose Mourinho in 2013/14 - subsequently earning his first selection in the PFA's Team of the Year. Cahill was named in England's squad for the 2014 World Cup having cruelly been ruled out of Euro 2012 with a broken jaw, despite initially earning a place in the 23-man selection.
He later went on to play at Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup, though failed to deliver any silverware on the international stage. Cahill amassed almost 300 appearances for Chelsea but left for Palace in 2019 after falling out of favour under Maurizio Sarri. He was a regular for the Eagles before finishing his career with his stint at Bournemouth.
Cahill added: "A special thank you must go to my amazing family who have supported me and been there every step of the way. I now have the opportunity to spend some quality time with them which is something I'm looking forward to.
"Beyond that, football will always be part of who I am and what I love so this is just the end of this chapter. For me it's important to look forwards not backwards as a new chapter in my life begins."
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