Five minutes.
That’s all Socceroos great Tim Cahill feels he needs to find the net one last time on Tuesday night when he farewells the Australian footballing public.
Cahill is set to make a cameo appearance in his 108th and final match for Australia when they host Lebanon in a friendly at ANZ Stadium.
While new coach Graham Arnold continues to prepare his team for the Asian Cup, the 38-year-old Cahill is likely to be called on late in the contest.
And he’s certain there’ll be at least one opportunity to use his signature header.
“I’m pretty sure I’ll get a chance. Everyone knows throughout my whole career – 700 games – it’s one in four,” Cahill said on Sunday in Sydney.
“It’s what everyone expects.”
Since his last appearance for the Socceroos in the recent World Cup in Russia, Cahill has played six games for Jamshedpur in the Indian Premier League.
He scored his maiden goal in his most-recent outing in a familiar fashion.
“I’m always confident that if I cross the line, I’m willing to score in training the same way in games,” he said.
“It felt good the other night in India to score again with a header and it’ll feel great come Tuesday night if I get that opportunity.
“The boys know where to put the ball. Even if they’ve never played with me, they know that something’s going to happen.”
Cahill, who has scored 50 goals for Australia, singled out his recent heroics against Syria as his most treasured green-and-gold moment at the Olympic site.
Down a goal in a match they needed to win to make the World Cup, the former Everton attacker scored both of Australia’s goals, including the extra-time winner.
It came after he was benched for their previous match in their first leg.
“120 minutes, I’d probably not played nothing for my club side, missed six games, watching from the stands and produced when it counts,” Cahill said.
“That’s been the highlight of my career when called upon internationally and domestically and I take great pride in that professionalism.
“Syria was pretty special because it was a big moment.”
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