Aston Villa: O'Neill got it wrong - Cahill

Oct 8 2009 by Lisa Smith, Birmingham Mail

GARY Cahill has no regrets swopping Villa Park for the Reebok Stadium after landing his third England call-up in recent weeks.

But the defender is not sure Villa boss Martin O’Neill didn’t make a mistake.

O’Neill allowed the rising academy star to turn his back on his claret and blue career of four years for Bolton Wanderers last season and his form for the Trotters has been so impressive that England boss Fabio Capello has once again come calling.

Cahill said: “It is a shame I had to move on but I knew I had to get regular football. I made the decision, and once you have made it, you just go forward.”

Of the Villa boss’s decision to allow him to walk Cahill said: “He is a great manager and you would maybe have to ask him that question.

“But everybody makes mistakes sometimes.”

Cahill is delighted at Villa’s success this season but insists he is in the happiest spell of his career under Gary Megson and thriving on the fact he is being lined up as a possible replacement for John Terry and Rio Ferdinand at the heart of the Three Lion’s defence.

He said: “Villa have two great centre-backs now who are doing well and I wish them every success.”

Cahill insists he left Villa on good terms with the Villa manager.

“There are no hard feelings between me and him,” he said.

“Maybe if I had bided my time there a bit longer it might have been different.

“He never for one minute pushed me out of the door. It was just a decision I made to go because he couldn’t guarantee me playing week in, week out which is what I needed to do.”

Villa fans have long bemoaned Cahill’s departure while Blues fans rue the fact he didn’t sign for them.

He added: “It is nice to hear the fans say nice things about me but I am happy now and settled at Bolton.

“It was a good decision to go there, It could have backfired but it has worked out really well and I am happy now.”