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Report: Cahill Fails to Douse UAE Club Link

Australian international Tim Cahill has not discounted the prospect of leaving the English Premier League to play in the Middle East, reports said Thursday.

Cahill, 32, has two years left on his contract with Everton but has been linked with a reported $Aus4 million ($4 million) deal for one season at the cash-rich United Arab Emirates club Al Nasr where compatriot Mark Bresciano currently plays.

Cahill, who is in Muscat preparing for Australia's World Cup qualifier against Oman on Friday, did not kill off the speculation when speaking to reporters at the team's training camp.

"It is always a compliment. I am a massive fan of the Middle East, the cultures, the people," Cahill was reported as saying in Australian newspapers on Thursday.

"I have travelled a lot and I respect them a lot. For me, it is just to focus on the Socceroos and we will see what happens later.

"I know what the experience is like. I have lived and breathed it. I have played in two Asian Cups and I have got great connections with a lot of important people overseas.

"I come on holiday in the Middle East a lot and I embrace the weather and the culture, and I am a massive fan of this part of the world."

Cahill is feted at Everton but his departure could ease the financial load on the club as it tries to hold onto other key players, reports said.

He is one of Everton's longest serving players, making his club debut in 2004, with 278 appearances and 68 goals.

Cahill said he was focused on Australia's World Cup qualifiers and that speculation of a potential move would be dealt with after Australia's important match against Japan in Brisbane on Tuesday.

Source: Agence France Presse


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