Tim Cahill

Tim Cahill turned timing into violence. Not tall enough to terrify defenders on paper, he became one of the most dangerous aerial attackers of his generation through leap, courage and a supernatural instinct for arriving exactly where the ball was about to become a problem. At Everton, he was never just a midfielder, never just a forward, but a penalty area raider with work rate, aggression and emotional force. He pressed, fought, attacked second balls and made ugly phases feel productive. For Australia, his importance was enormous, with World Cup goals that gave a whole football nation a sharper global identity. Cahill was not elegant in the decorative sense. He was impact, nerve and late arrival, packed into one very inconvenient opponent.