Cahill admits reuniting with Hodgson was key to joining Palace

Gary Cahill

Gary Cahill admits working with Roy Hodgson was a big factor in his move to Crystal Palace.

The former Chelsea star is reunited with Hodgson – who made him captain for England against Estonia in 2015 – after joining the Eagles on a free in August.

Cahill says he turned down interest from other clubs – reportedly Arsenal and Fulham – because he felt he could make a bigger impact at Selhurst Park.

“My thought process behind going to Palace was I’d worked with Roy and Ray [Lewington] before,” he said to the Daily Mail.

“I knew them very well, and it’s a solid club. It’s been in the Premier League for seven years. You have to ask yourself: why are you moving?

“You’re moving to play regularly but you’re also moving because you want to have an impact. I saw this as an opportunity to do that.”

The 34-year-old says says playing under top managers such as Hodgson, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte during his glorious career has made him a better defender.

“I’ve tried to take the good and bad,” he said. “Roy comes into his element when we go on the tactical side. Every manager has a different outlook on how he wants to defend.

“Look at Conte and his back three. I’ve always been taught ‘stay goal-side, stay goal-side, stay goal-side’. But Conte wanted you to screen in front. There are different elements to defending. Roy is the same.”