Moyes eager to see Cahill make return

Jul 27 2007 by Nick Smith, Liverpool Daily Post

Tim Cahill, in action for Everton FC _158

DAVID MOYES is hoping Tim Cahill will once again rediscover his goalscoring prowess with immediate effect when he returns to the Everton fold for the start of the season.

As the tour of the USA winds down – Everton fly home tomorrow following visits to Salt Lake and Los Angeles – manager Moyes is keeping tabs on Cahill’s training sessions back in Bellefield, which he started on Tuesday.

The Australian midfielder had been playing for his country in the Asian Cup in Singapore before their elimination last weekend, a tournament that signalled Cahill’s first action since breaking his foot against Sheffield United in early March. But after making a successful return from injury to star in the World Cup for Australia last year, Cahill kicked off the new season with seven goals in his first 12 games.

And Moyes, who now hopes to give the midfielder some action in Tuesday’s friendly with Werder Bremen at Goodis-on Park, wants more of the same.

“Tim started the season very well last year and got some goals so I’m hoping he will come back the same,” said Moyes at his team’s LA training base.

“We’re looking forward to having him back, we’ve not had him in the squad since the Sheffield United game when he broke his foot.

“He’s back training at Bellefield so we’re looking forward to getting him to join the squad on Monday and no doubt he’ll play a part in the game against Werder Bremen on Tuesday.”

Moyes is also encouraged by the fact that Cahill didn’t start any of the games Australia played in their Asian Cup campaign, which ended in a quarter-final defeat to Japan.

But he scored an injury-time equaliser in the final group game with Oman to indicate that he has regained his sharpness as well as his fitness.

Moyes added: “He got through okay and he didn’t start any of the games so maybe he has had a bit of a rest and not done too much.

“But he’s fit enough now to come back in and won’t need too much time, I’m hoping, pre-season training wise.”

Meanwhile, James Beattie has insisted he has lost none of his self-belief after a season without a goal in open play.

The 29-year-old only had two penalties to his name throughout the 2006-07 campaign but feels he can still make an impact in the Everton forward line this season.

Beattie, who found the net in a 4-0 practice game against a Ventura County Fusion side on Tuesday, said: “It was hard to build up momentum last year but there were no excuses.

“It was a bad season for me, I won’t skirt away from that fact. It’s the first season ever that I have not got into double figures. But you have got to look forwards and remain positive.”