Socceroo Tim Cahill denies claims from David Gallop he told FFA they ‘could not meet his needs’

A ‘’hurt’’ Tim Cahill has denied David Gallop’s claims that he told Football Federation Australia that the A-League “could not meet his needs”.

In an impassioned statement, Cahill said he has been left “hurt” by comments made about him, “the most hurtful of all these is the suggestion that I had made it clear to the FFA that it could not meet my needs. This is totally incorrect. I have never said that, nor anything like it.”

Cahill ruffled feathers when he told The Daily Telegraph that the local game is “in a bit of a rut” and challenged FFA to show him a true vision for the future.

It caused FFA chief executive Gallop to hit back, saying some of Cahill’s comments “were off the mark”.

Gallop also said that Cahill was approached by FFA and several clubs after being released by Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua, but that the 36-year-old made it clear “we could not meet his needs.”

Cahill, however, insists he has not spoken with anyone at FFA about contractual terms or money and that once it was established that any move to the A-League would be impossible as the transfer window had long since shut, that was the end of the conversation.

“The reason for me not being able to consider an A-League move is that the transfer window had closed when my Shanghai Shenhua contract was mutually terminated.”

Cahill went on to reiterate his unwavering commitment to the Socceroos. Coach Ange Postecoglou was one of the first people he called after being cut by Shanghai, knowing the Socceroos boss needs him to be playing regularly in order to play his part in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

“The most important thing from my point of view is to contribute as much as I possibly can to the Socceroos qualifying for the next World Cup,” Cahill said. “To do this, I have to be playing regularly. We have crucial games coming up in March.”

The only options available to Cahill are China, Japan and Korea with all major transfer windows around the world already closed.

So, for the short-term at least, he will remain in Asia. But the debate will rage on about how the A-League might attempt to lure him back to Australia - if in fact Cahill has the desire to return.

“I appreciate so much the support so many of you have given me today,” Cahill said. “That means everything to me.

“I hope this sheds some light on what has happened.”