Center Back: Gary Cahill

Coauthored by Seth Johnson and Stephen Kirchner

Obtained from Google search “Gary Cahill,” labeled for noncommercial reuse

Height: 188 cm

Weight: 70 kg

Senior Experience: 2004-present

Caps: 41

Club: Chelsea (English Premier League)

Season Statistics: 1 Goal; 1 Assist; 35 Tackles

Role and Projected Tournament Outlook:

The most experienced member of the English backline—he was called up in 2009 and boasts 41 caps—Gary Cahill is most likely to serve as one of the starting center backs for Hodgson’s squad in the upcoming Euros. Although the English defender has dealt with a tendon problem in his hip this season playing for Chelsea, Cahill is poised to be back in front of goalkeeper Joe Hart this summer (Dinnery, 2016).

After making his first international competitive start in the qualifying rounds for the 2012 European championships and scoring a goal against Bulgaria in that game (McNulty, 2011), Cahill was ruled out for the tournament when he suffered a double fracture in his jaw after colliding with goalkeeper Joe Hart (BBC, 2012). Due to his absence in 2012, Cahill is set to make another run at an international title for the Three Lions, and will most likely play in every match after making eight starts in this year’s qualifying phase (UEFA, 2016).

As one of the more experienced players on the squad—he captained England for the first time in a 2–0 win against Estonia earlier in qualifying (Bull, 2015)—expect Cahill to shoulder a leadership role from the backline for his less experienced teammates upfront. If Hodgson chooses to sit Wayne Rooney, or if Rooney is subbed out, anticipate Cahill to strap on the captain’s armband for the English side. With his technical talent, powerful heading ability in both defense and attack, volleying and solid tackling—he boasts 35 tackles with Chelsea this season—Cahill will serve as a strong center back for the experienced back third of England.

How to cite this article: “Center Back: Gary Cahill” Written by Seth Johnson and Stephen Kirchner (2016), European Cup 2016 Guide, Soccer Politics Blog, Duke University, http://sites.duke.edu/wcwp/tournament-guides/european-cup-2016-guide/english-national-team/englands-projecting-starting-xi/center-back-gary-cahill/ (accessed on (date)).