Career in Pictures: Chelsea defender Gary Cahill

Villa debut

Upon his return to Villa Park, his impressive loan spell at Burnley was sure to bode well for the defender in the Midlands, where he made his Aston Villa debut on September 20, 2005, during their thrilling 8-3 victory over Wycombe Wanderers in the second round of the League Cup.

But, it wasn’t until April 1, 2006, that Cahill was called upon to make his Premier League debut.

The opposition: Arsenal. Not the easiest! As the Gunners ran out 5-0 victors after the defender replaced Ulises de la Cruz for the final 38 minutes.

Later that month, Cahill then netted his first goal for the Villans, an overheard kick against Midland rivals Birmingham City to inspire his team-mates to a 3-1 victory.