I want to help England reach World Cup

HAVING A BALL ... Gary Cahill at Wembley

ENGLAND defender Gary Cahill has revealed his disappointment and frustration at missing out at Wembley against Ukraine.

The Chelsea centre-half confessed: “I feel like I’m back to square one with my country.”

Cahill, 26, is desperate to revive his international career after being forced to withdraw from this summer’s European Championship finals with a broken jaw.

He feels he has slipped down Roy Hodgson’s pecking order as a result of missing out on Euro 2012.

That fear was confirmed on Tuesday night when he remained on the subs’ bench, despite the absence of his Chelsea defensive partner John Terry.

Phil Jagielka partnered Joleon Lescott at the back.

And Cahill admitted: “Before these last two England games, I probably didn’t realise just how much damage that injury did to my chances.

“Towards the back end of last season, I’d forced my way into the team and was starting most matches.

“In the weeks before the Euros, I felt as though I could be a big part of that competition. But to have that unfortunate injury has clearly set me back in the pecking order.

“I wouldn’t say I was surprised when I didn’t play against Ukraine. I was more disappointed and frustrated. It feels like things are out of my hands again.

“You think you’re progressing, then all of a sudden you’re back to square one. That’s the way I feel at the minute.”

Cahill’s problems all started in England’s final friendly before the Euros, the Wembley clash with Belgium.

An innocuous shove in the back from Dries Martens sent Cahill crashing into the shoulder of onrushing England keeper Joe Hart and resulted in a double jaw fracture.

He added: “Going into the Euros, I was hoping it would be me and JT as first-choice centre-backs.

“But these knockbacks keep happening to me.

“Before the Belgium game, I’d pushed myself into a position I was happy with and my form was good.

“But Joleon played well at the Euros and I have no argument with that.

“You wait for your chance to come along and you take it.

“My goal has always been to be a regular fixture playing for my country and I thought I was getting close to achieving that.

“Now I feel as though I have to start again and get myself back up the pecking order.

“I’ve done it before and, hopefully, I can do it again.

“It’s just a matter of fighting back to where I want to be. The only way I can do that is by getting my head down, working hard for my club and going again.”

Cahill insists he has no issues with Hodgson and is happy with how he has always been kept in the loop by the Three Lions chief.

He declared: “The boss always gives you a little idea of the reasons behind his decisions. He lets you know his thinking.

“He’s very approachable and easy to talk to. You never feel uncomfortable with him and I spoke to him a lot when I was out injured.”

Cahill had started in five of England’s previous eight internationals before sustaining that fractured
jaw in May and is understandably eager to make up for lost time.

Talking at Wembley for Just Play, a grass-roots football scheme from Mars and the FA designed to get more people playing football, he explained: “I’m at an age now where I want to start being a big part of things.

“Sometimes people think I’m still a young lad. Even the other night, maybe they were saying,
‘Oh, he’s one for the future’.

“But I’m 26 and at the stage of my career where I’d like to stamp my authority on the game.

“To do that, you need a run of matches to cement your place in the side, not sometimes in the team and then out again.

“It’s really frustrating sitting on the bench. Every footballer will tell you that. You want to be out there playing. You want to have an input and influence the way the game is going. You can’t do that just sitting and watching.

“I feel like I’m having to prove something to people all the time.

“There are two or three games where it feels as though you’ve done enough. But then it turns out you haven’t and you’re back to the start again.

“Ever since I’ve been involved with England, we’ve always been spoiled for choice for central defenders. It’s never going to be easy to force your way to the head of the queue and that’s the way it should be.

“But we’ve two more qualifiers against San Marino and Poland next month, so there’s a lot for me to play for between now and then.

“Missing the Euros was a huge blow to my career and I’m massively excited about the prospect of going to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup.

“But I’m just as excited about the next two years with England leading up to that tournament.

“Going into any competition we always believe we have a chance of winning it.

“And to be a part of winning something with my country would be the top feeling ever in football.”