Gary Cahill’s England career is mirroring his time at Chelsea. He may not wear the Three Lions’ armband in Russia, but Gareth Southgate chose him for his experience and leadership as well as his defensive work.
Rumours leaked out Monday morning that Gareth Southgate would not have Jack Wilshere and Joe Hart in his World Cup squad. A few hours later – with the air of someone remembering a minor formality they forgot to do – less-reliable sources published unconvincing stories that Gary Cahill would also be out of the squad.
Gareth Southgate’s overhaul of England’s national team had a lot in common with Antonio Conte’s at Chelsea. Southgate switched to a three-man defence, dropped the undroppable players and built the squad from scratch. He took an unsentimental approach, one built around “What will we do for the future?” rather than “What have you done in the past?” As at Chelsea, these moves portended the end of Gary Cahill’s England career.
Instead, Cahill will have as much as a role for England as he has for Chelsea. Cahill is the most-experienced international in Southgate’s squad, with 52 caps. Jordan Henderson is second with only 32. Harry Kane is in line to be England’s captain for the World Cup, keeping with his place as the focal point for the team tactically and for the fans emotionally.
Even if Kane wears the armband, Cahill will still be a major part of Southgate’s leadership structure. From their time together at Chelsea, Cahill and England assistant coach Steve Holland already have a well-established leadership dynamic.
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Cahill has not only played more games than most of the other players. He has more playing experience – true footballing experience – than any other. He has lifted major trophies: he knows how to win, and how to withstand pressure. On the other hand, as a member of the Euro 2016 squad, he knows what it feels like to lose. He has suffered serious injuries and come back, and has helped his fellow footballers through theirs. And he has been counted out time and time again, and has returned stronger and more valuable every time. That is as much a part of the character Gareth Southgate wants for the Three Lions as the youth, dynamism and boldness of Harry Kane, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dele Alli.
Southgate’s squad is a fascinating blend of blossoming youth talent (Alexander-Arnold), rebuilt cast-offs (Raheem Sterling, Gary Cahill) and talismanic heroes (Harry Kane). Southgate built the team unlike any other England has known for some time.
Youth, vigour and hunger may be the defining characteristics of these Lions. But Southgate is smart enough not to choose those attributes to the exclusion of all others. A balanced team requires players like Gary Cahill. Cahill is not an exception to Southgate’s unsentimental, forward-looking ways.
Gary Cahill has spent most of his last two years – and sporadic spells before that – one step away from being washed up, sold cheap and on the train back to Bolton. Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger supposedly ended his Chelsea career this season, especially after Cahill was on the bench for Chelsea’s three biggest games from February into April. Around the same time, Southgate left Cahill out of the final round of friendlies. His detractors saw his England career going the way of his Chelsea career.
Until it didn’t. Cahill became a late-season stalwart for Chelsea’s run-in. And now he is on the plane to Russia.
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So in a way, his England career is almost perfectly mirroring his Chelsea career. Just not in the way his critics expected.