Defender who has played the most
Premier League minutes of past 15 years on his Bournemouth ambition and
England frustration
‘I saw a stat the other day on
Twitter that said I was up there on ‘minutes played in the Premier League’,” Gary Cahill says. It is a throwaway remark as he reflects on a career that has seen him lift the biggest trophies – blowing his own trumpet is not his style – and play more minutes in the Premier League than any other player in the past 15 years. “It surprised me because there are so many players where I thought: ‘No way, I’m not in front of him,’ but I was.”
As Cahill takes a seat in a corner of Bournemouth’s modest stadium, it is easy to wonder what someone who has won 61 England caps, the
Champions League, two Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Europa League is doing in the Championship, playing outside the top flight for the first time since 2007, when he was on loan at Sheffield United from Aston Villa. There were offers from abroad and Norwich but this challenge, and working under his former England teammate Scott Parker, appealed. “To jump away from the Premier League was a tough decision and one I wasn’t sure about, which is why it took me so long to decide what I wanted to do,” he says. “But I can say I am thoroughly enjoying it.”