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Socceroos captain Lucas Neill says a desire to play it safe ahead of next year’s World Cup had a hand in his decision to join Tim Cahill at Everton.
Neill admits he was tempted by the challenge of a new life overseas before opting to remain in the English Premier League.
“For a long time I was thinking ‘Do I want a new challenge, new lifestyle and learn a new language?’,” Neill told reporters on Friday.
“I was really turned on by doing that and for the first month of the off-season that was all I was thinking about.
“But as the offers were coming in I got the feeling ‘Do I want to change everything coming up to a World Cup or do I stick to what I know?’.”
Neill ended his long search for a new club when he signed a one-year deal with the Toffees on Thursday.
The 31-year-old defender had been a free agent since his contract with West Ham expired at the end of the last Premier League season.
He turned down a number of offers before joining Everton, where he can help solve manager David Moyes’ injury woes exacerbated by the club captain Phil Neville suffering knee ligament damage last weekend.
And Neill said his immediate focus was his new club.
“This was about me choosing a club where I can improve myself as a player and to get as much game-time as possible,” he said.
“My focus is not on Australia and the World Cup, but being here at Everton and getting in the team.”
Neill has not played competitively since turning out for the Socceroos in June, but he said he had been training twice a day to stay in shape.
“Would I like to have signed for Everton two months ago? Of course, but these things don’t always work out when you want them to,” the former Blackburn Rovers player said.
“There was a lot of waiting for phone calls and meetings, getting offers and talking it over with my family and here we are.”
He added: “It was really worth the wait.”
Moyes believes Neill could emerge as a new leader in Neville’s absence.
“I’ve been chasing Lucas since he was at Blackburn,” Moyes said.
“I liked him back then as a player but he went on to join West Ham. Now he’s more experienced and we need that after losing Phil Neville.
“It’s fortunate that he became available and we’re delighted to have him here.”
Moyes was also attracted to Neill’s versatility – he can play at right back, on the left or in the centre of defence as he does for his country.
“He has vital experience and you cannot have enough of those sorts of players in your team,” Moyes said.
“It’s a big year for him with Australia and the World Cup coming up and I’m sure he will want to do well.”
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