Gary Cahill knew exactly what he was up against when he joined Chelsea and, despite collecting six winners’ medals and captaining club and country, he also knows there are those who remain unconvinced.

There are still a minority of Chelsea fans who jump on any opportunity to write him off, while England manager Gareth Southgate has recently had his doubts over Cahill ahead of the World Cup.

But Southgate and Cahill’s critics should not need to be reminded that he has made a career of proving people wrong – not least anyone who thought he was joining Chelsea from Bolton Wanderers in January 2012 to make up the numbers.

“I’m sure the club bought me at that stage to be a squad player,” said Cahill. “For £7million and the fact I’m English and qualify for home-grown, 100 per cent, you don’t have to be a brain surgeon to realise ‘ok they’ve brought me in to be one of four or five’. That’s the feeling I got when I came here. But I can remember how determined, how hungry, I was to make this a success.

“The majority of Chelsea fans have been unbelievable to me, but there is maybe an element of five per cent always thinking ‘get the next best thing in’ or ‘move him on’. I can feel that in a certain percentage.