Chelsea Skipper Optimistic Over World Cup Inclusion Despite Season of Frustration in West London
Chelsea defender Gary Cahill has revealed he remains optimistic of a call-up to England's World Cup squad for this summer's tournament in Russia, despite his recent omission from the international fold.
The 32-year old has been an influential figure at Stamford Bridge over the past few seasons, though the captain has struggled to nail down a regular spot this season following the emergence of youngster Andreas Christensen, and the form of summer recruit Antonio Rüdiger.
His stop-start campaign has led to questions marks over his World Cup spot, with manager Gareth Southgate leaving him out of his most recent England squad. Cahill though, as reported by the Daily Telegraph, is remaining positive about his chances of making the final 23, having fought his way back into Antonio Conte's plans.
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“Everything is a possibility when you're playing,” he said, adding: “We have gone into the [FA Cup] final and the World Cup is coming so let's wait and see.
“Football is a bit of a rollercoaster. It is not always going to go amazingly well but if you look over my career since I have started the majority of my career I have played 30 plus games every season. Twice I haven't. This season and the time we finished 10th.”
The Chelsea captain went on to reveal his frustrations at spending time on the sidelines this season, suggesting that his past glories have left him with nothing to prove at the highest level.
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“I don't go out there with nerves thinking I have to prove things to everybody. I think I have done that before if you look over my career I have proved playing in the Champions League, proved playing in the Premier League, proved playing for England.
“What I would say is, like I said before, that every time I’ve been out the team or if I have come out of the team before, form...you don't just disappear and turn into a bad player overnight. Form, if you ride it out, you come back to the levels you should be at."
Though the World Cup is swiftly approaching, Cahill will first turn his attention to helping Chelsea's fight for a top four finish, before switching his focus to Manchester United for the FA Cup final on May 19.
