Everton star Tim Cahill's career was kickstarted by an $8,000 bank loan over ten years ago.
The Australian World Cup hero was just 16 years-old at the time and was struggling to focus on his studies.
"When he was in year 10, he came home from school and said to his mother and I, 'I can't concentrate on anything else, I just want to play football'," Cahill's father, Tim Snr, recalled to the Daily Telegraph.
"I knew what he was saying. His mum and me sat down, we talked about it and the next day we went down to the bank and got a loan to send him to England.
"We gave him a chance, but with the condition if he didn't make it he had to come home and finish school."
With an $8,000 loan, English-raised Cahill Snr called on a few old favours to get his son a trial at south London club Millwall, and the rest is history.
The Australian World Cup hero was just 16 years-old at the time and was struggling to focus on his studies.
"When he was in year 10, he came home from school and said to his mother and I, 'I can't concentrate on anything else, I just want to play football'," Cahill's father, Tim Snr, recalled to the Daily Telegraph.
"I knew what he was saying. His mum and me sat down, we talked about it and the next day we went down to the bank and got a loan to send him to England.
"We gave him a chance, but with the condition if he didn't make it he had to come home and finish school."
With an $8,000 loan, English-raised Cahill Snr called on a few old favours to get his son a trial at south London club Millwall, and the rest is history.
