Player profile: Gary Cahill

Last updated : 25 June 2007 By Roland Huxley

Having broken into the first team at the back end of the 2005/06 campaign, the imposing centre-back instantly became a Holte End hero when he scored with a sensational scissor kick against the Small Heath to help send them down in the 3-1 victory at Villa Park. Commanding in the air and ferocious in the tackle, Cahill is beginning to look as if he could develop into a defender of genuine international calibre and has put his fellow academy graduate Liam Ridgewell into the shade.

Blessed with great positional sense and the bravery to throw himself into challenges, Cahill is yet to show the propensity to concede own-goals and commit mistakes that have hindered the rise of Ridgewell's career and the fact he is challenging Olof Mellberg and Martin Laursen for a spot at the heart of the defence is testament to his ability. Impressive form earned him a place in the England Under-21 squad for the European Championships in the Netherlands and Villa's defence appears to be in good shape for the foreseeable future.

This is an extended version of the profile section of this site which we will be updating over the course of the summer