TIM CAHILL has blamed “bitter” player agents for a recent row within the Australia national team.

The Everton midfielder admitted he was angry with a situation that evolved in the Australian camp during the recent World Cup qualification campaign and said that a player agent, who he did not name, had deliberately tried to tarnish his character.

Cahill has endured a rollercoaster month in the spotlight, after he helped Australia to qualify for the World Cup, then was involved in a nightclub incident which prompted a media reaction against him before he turned hero again with two goals in Australia’s win over Japan at the MCG.

The Everton midfielder would not elaborate further on the claims, only saying that the support he received from people like Mark Schwarzer was very important to him.

Schwarzer publicly backed Cahill and was himself then targeted in a letter to a newspaper apparently written by an anonymous team-mate, criticising both him and Cahill - though some reports suggested the letter was drafted by the agent of the unnamed player.

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out what’s happened in the last couple of weeks,” he said.

“Obviously there’s player agents involved who are very bitter and it’s something that’s very difficult to explain, because me as a person, you think you can play football and that’s all that matters.

“Outside of football, commercially, is one thing you would hope wouldn’t affect a team.

“It’s one of those issues that definitely will be addressed after this whole camp.

“It’s something that’s made me angry and something that as a team, when we play we are unbelievable, but outside when it comes to other issues it’s a bit sad.