Cahill aims to get back among goals ahead of season

Jun 27 2007 by Nick Smith, Liverpool Daily Post

TIM CAHILL is hoping to get back into his famous scoring groove ahead of the new season.

The Australian is gearing up for his first action in four months as he trains in Thailand for the Asian Cup.

Cahill has missed the back end of Everton’s previous two seasons with injury but a year ago he warmed up for his return to club action with the World Cup in Germany.

That tournament, in which Cahill scored his country’s first ever goal in the finals with his double in the win over Japan, teed him up perfectly for when he returned to Everton.

He continued his form by scoring seven times in his first 12 appearances before further injuries restricted his involvement.

Cahill won’t be risked for Australia’s warm-up game against Singapore on Saturday but is hoping he can get back into the scoring swing when he takes to the field for their opening game against Oman July 8. But he insists that victory in their opening group game, and Australia living up to their tag as favourites, is the most important detail.

“I would love to be the first to score in Asia as well,” Cahill said.

“I want the players to go out there and really show that we’re a very, very good side. It’s the first time we’ve gone into a competition going in as favourites so it’s a massive compliment. It seems they’re talking about us being favourites and I want it to be a positive, not a negative.”

Everton announced 11 new additions to their full-time Academy ranks yesterday. Jack Rodwell, James McCarten, Luke Powell, Michael Stewart, Tom McCready, Moses Barnett, Karl Sheppard, , Hope Akpan, Danny Redmond Louis Codling and Austrian George Krenn are set to form the basis of the Everton under-18 side next season.