Cahill is the darling of the blue half of Merseyside at the moment after grabbing an 87th minute equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Anfield.

Earlier this season there was speculation that a return to Australia could beckon at the end of his present Everton deal but he was swift to crush any hopes A-League bosses may have had of tempting him home.

However, it is most definitely a question of 'when' not 'if' with Cahill clear on that.

He told The Times: "I’ll definitely be going back to Australia to live. I miss the sun. I want my kids to grow up in Australia. But there is a long time to go for that."

While he continues to enjoy plaudits from his Everton boss David Moyes and the Toffees' supporters, Cahill has made a point of acknowledging those who have helped reach such dizzy heights.

He said: "It was hard for me to come to England. My parents had to get a loan to get me over here for a trial.

"I’ve made sure since then that I’ve paid them back and they’ve never had to work since the day I got my first contract.

"I’m opening up soccer academies for kids so that they can do what I did and have a chance. They can see that if I can do it, they can do it."

Cahill and his Everton teammates travel to Anfield again this weekend in the fourth round of the FA Cup.