Gary Cahill: Has He Justified His Price Tag in 1st Full Season with Chelsea?

The cliché of a young boy wanting to become a professional footballer when he grows up is sadly too rare these days, but for young Gary Cahill, hailing from Dronfield, the dream became reality when he joined Aston Villa at 14.

After progressing through the ranks of the youth academy, Cahill made his debut at the tender age of 18, but not with his parent club. The youngster was loaned out to Burnley and made 28 appearances during his time at Turf Moor.

But what really caught the eyes of the coaches at Villa Park was that their loan star managed to pick up both the Player and Young Player of the Year awards during his season-long loan spell. It was a magnificent achievement for the teenager and showed that he had a bright future at Villa Park.

A four-year spell at Bolton followed after joining the Trotters in 2008, and that's when Cahill made the step up to a quality defender. His solid performances, as well as pitching in with the odd wonder goal, earned him a dream £7 million move to Chelsea last year.

Brought in many as a squad player, the English international has certainly made an impression during his time at Stamford Bridge, and after finishing his first full season at Stamford Bridge, has the towering centre-half justified himself as a useful acquisition?

Judging by quality, you would have to concur that he has. Cahill has repeatedly shown that he is worthy of wearing the Chelsea shirt, coming straight into the side when the likes of John Terry or David Luiz are unavailable and putting his body on the line.

Of course, the 27-year-old, like any other player, would be disappointed not to start regularly. But in a squad as talented as Chelsea's and facing such a gruelling fixture list, rotation is a necessity, not an option. As a consequence, Cahill has enjoyed a decent run in the team, featuring in 45 games for the Blues this season.

And one of the key things about his game is his tendency to score goals, which is an odd attribute for a defender to possess. The statistics don't lie though; Cahill has scored an impressive total of six goals in all competitions this season, with two in each of the Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League.

The pick of the bunch—there are more than just a couple, believe me—came in the 4-2 win against Tottenham at White Hart Lane when he unleashed a thunderbolt from the edge of the box, which left American goalkeeper Brad Friedel with no chance whatsoever.

Certainly, Rafa Benitez has entrusted the centre-half to come into the first-team without any hesitation, and the fact that he has started all three of Chelsea's continental finals this year highlights the faith shown in his ability.

Still, every player has his weaknesses, and his biggest issue is consistency which ultimately costs him a place in the team. In addition, there are several habits that he has failed to iron out, which can make Cahill a vulnerability in defence.

When playing in defence with David Luiz, both like to stray from their positions, leaving gaping holes in the defence. While the Brazilian has the pace to track back, Cahill is not the quickest of players, and teams gradually exploit the space left by him.

In addition, as seen in the 2-2 draw with Tottenham, Cahill can be guilty of getting too tight to his marker, and as he got too close to Emmanuel Adebayor, it allowed Spurs the chance to equalize.

To understand how to utilize Cahill, you need to acknowledge his style; an old-fashioned defender who is vital in the sense that his contributions usually centre around last-ditch blocks and man-marking. 

Use that to your advantage, and you have a solid centre-back among your squad. Unfortunately, Chelsea have John Terry who famously operates in that role. And when Cahill replaces Terry in the side, with all due respect, the distinction in the physical and mental presence is noticeable.

Questions over Gary Cahill's future at Chelsea will remain unanswered until the next Chelsea manager is announced. And with the return of Jose Mourinho becoming increasingly likely, it seems that the former Bolton man could find first-team opportunities limited, with Mourinho unlikely to axe the ever-popular captain, Terry. 

A player with as much professionalism and class as Cahill would understand if he was forced to leave the Blues, having won three trophies in just over a year at the club, and the club would certainly ask for a large chunk of his £7 million fee.

Whether he stays or goes is irrelevant. Chelsea can be proud of their bargain signing, and if he moves on to pastures new, Cahill can look back with no regrets.