Former Everton star Tim Cahill has been recalling his time at Goodison Park while making World Cup predictions
Tim Cahill has earmarked how to bring out the best of Hill Dickinson Stadium by recalling how David Moyes’ teams used the power of Everton’s supporters to take their opponents’ “soft players” out of the game while also stating England are one of two teams he believes can win the World Cup.
Cahill was one of the most popular players during Moyes’ first spell as Blues boss, making 278 appearances and netting 68 goals, 56 of which were in the Premier League, placing him fourth on the club’s all-time scoring list in the competition behind Romelu Lukaku (68), Duncan Ferguson (60) and Dominic Calvert-Lewin (57), even though he played mostly as an attacking midfielder rather than striker during his spell at Goodison Park between 2004-12.
Speaking to Joe Cole on Could It Be Coming Home? brought to you by Carling, which is available to watch on YouTube and Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts, Cahill said: “The first season I went to Everton, and I was speaking to Wayne Rooney about this, because he left two days after I signed, but I was going to this club, with not much money. They didn’t do too well the season before and they had signed Marcus Bent and a few others, but had some proper leaders like Alan Stubbs, David Weir, Lee Carsley, Tommy Gravesen and Kevin Campbell.
“We ended up finishing fourth that season. David Moyes had a way of a back four, one or two sitting in front, and then letting us fly. The midfield was Carsley and Gravesen, Tommy was supposed to be the holding midfielder, but he was always gone, so I would have to stand next to Carsley and I am the goalscoring midfielder not him.
“That season we finished fourth and it was one of the best achievements, because you look now compared to the budgets of other teams. We had a team of proper footballers.
“It was difficult to come to us because we used the fans, small pitch, tight, and we would close the pitch. We would make sure the soft players would feel it when they faced us.
“As soon as we took them out of the game, they are down to nine, then we would focus on cutting the supply, shutting up shop. Goodison was amazing, the best place ever.”
Despite representing Western Samoa at youth level and being offered a place to play at the 2002 World Cup by the Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy, Sydney-born Cahill pledged his allegiance to Australia and scored his nation’s first two World Cup goals when they came from behind to defeat Japan 3-1 in Kaiserslautern on June 12, 2006. In total, Cahill, who struck 50 times in 108 matches for the Socceroos, played in four consecutive World Cup tournaments before bowing out in 2018, with a further goal – and sending off – in 2010 and a spectacular volleyed effort against the Netherlands in 2014.
Although Australia’s hopes at the current World Cup are now in the balance after their 2-0 defeat to hosts USA in Seattle on Friday, Nestory Irankunda, who netted their first goal of the finals in their 2-0 win over Turkey, paid tribute to Cahill by replicating his trademark boxing the corner flag celebration routine. The Watford forward became his country’s youngest ever scorer in the tournament and said: “Timmy Cahill is my biggest inspiration when it comes to football.
“Him and Lionel Messi. Tim Cahill, Australia’s greatest in my opinion. I just thought if I scored, I’ll do the same as him and I got to do it.”
Nestory Irankunda celebrates by punching the corner flag during the World Cup match between Australia and Turkey in Vancouver on June 13, 2026
Nestory Irankunda celebrates by punching the corner flag during the World Cup match between Australia and Turkey in Vancouver on June 13, 2026(Image: Stu Forster/Getty Images)
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Reacting to the comments, the 46-year-old said: “My phone was going crazy when he said that. To have my kids come up to me and, my oldest is 23 and he told me about Nestory years ago.
“My 21-year-old boy speaks to Nestory. I don’t tend to speak to Nestory and the players, I keep a little distance. I am big fan.
“I spoke about him before the World Cup and said he will do something, and the reason is he is fearless. The way he has been brought up, he has had a tough upbringing, similar to mine, and there is this thing that you play for your family, that is what he is doing.
“He is an inspiration and when I heard that, to be honest, that’s why you play football. When you speak to these kids you try to mentor them, help them.
“We have been messaging and it’s good to play without fear because anything can happen. When you play in a World Cup you are looking for that one second, that one moment, we are fighters, I feel like they will do themselves proud.”
Cahill reckons there are a couple of nations that stand out when it comes to potentially lifting the World Cup at the MetLife Stadium next month and one of them has Everton’s Jordan Pickford in goal. He said: “I think Brazil are one-paced, England are not.
“Carlo [Ancelotti] can motivate Brazil, but England don’t need to be motivated. To win a World Cup, or to compete in a World Cup, you need to use every player and Tuchel has shown that in his preparation.
“How he gave everyone minutes. Now if they win the next game, the third game, then the whole thing will be flipped for minutes.
“At the moment it is about win, win and then it doesn’t matter what you do with that last game. Normally a win and draw would do, but this one now England are in the driving seat.
“That’s why for me it is France or England who will end up winning the trophy.”