Mikel Arteta has revealed that Tim Cahill remains one of his closest friends, with the Arsenal manager saying the Everton icon was there for him during difficult times and that having the support of people who believe in you is the most important thing in football.
Speaking in an interview with Stan Sport Football, Arteta was asked about the bonds he formed during his six years at Goodison Park, and his answer left little doubt about who made the deepest impression.
“Tim is one of my greatest friends,” he said. “I think he’s someone that believes in me and in what I want to achieve. Everybody needs support, and obviously when your loved ones are right next to you in difficult times, it is the most important part.”
What Arteta and Cahill shared at Everton
Arteta arrived at Everton in 2005 and stayed until 2011, making 209 appearances for the Blues and registering 70 goal involvements across what many supporters regard as the most competitive era in the club’s recent Premier League history.
He and Cahill were central figures in a squad built under David Moyes that achieved Everton’s only top-four finish in the Premier League era, in 2004-05, and reached an FA Cup final still the only major cup final the club has reached since their last trophy in 1995.
Cahill was the heartbeat of that side in a different way to Arteta. Where the Spaniard controlled tempo and dictated from deep, the Australian brought an extraordinary capacity for headers, big moments and the kind of relentless energy that made him a cult figure at Goodison.
The two complemented each other in midfield and clearly formed a bond that has lasted well beyond their playing days together.
Why the connection still matters today?
Arteta has spoken before about what Everton means to him, and the warmth in his words about Cahill suggest that whatever the rivalry between the clubs, the years he spent at Goodison shaped him in ways he has never shaken off.
His Arsenal side currently hold a nine-point lead at the top of the Premier League, though Manchester City have a game in hand and are yet to host the Gunners at the Etihad.
Arteta is chasing the first league title for Arsenal since Wenger’s side in 2004, the same year Cahill joined Everton. The symmetry is not lost on the Spaniard, who knows…
