With Chelsea FC already leading Turkish side Galatasaray by a goal to nil, the Blues were dominating the match but needed another goal to solidify their progress to the next round of the Champions League. Up stepped a somewhat unlikely source in center back Gary Cahill to deliver much needed relief to the thousands of Chelsea supporters at Stamford Bridge. Cahill was “Johnny on the spot” as he smashed in John Terry’s deflected header from a Frank Lampard corner in to the roof of Fernando Muslera’s net. What a way to mark your 100th appearance for Chelsea FC.

The England center back has seen his star rise to unprecedented heights since he joined Chelsea from Bolton Wanderers for a fee believed to be around £7 million. For all the flack that Chelsea takes for their “wasteful” transfer policy the critics tend to forget bargain buys like Cahill. Since arriving, Cahill has won the FA Cup, Champions League, Europa League, and has become an unquestioned figure in England’s backline. Not bad for a player that many thought was just brought in for depth in case of injury to John Terry or David Luiz.

Cahill has become an exceptional centerback especially when paired with captain John Terry. Terry’s instincts and reading of the game allow Cahill to be more aggressive and push forward rather than constantly backing off defenders. He has followed in his fellow Englishman’s goalscoring footsteps as he has scored many important goals for Chelsea FC with today’s close range finish being the latest. His 10 goals in 100 appearances for Chelsea is impressive for a central defender and he, along with Branislav Ivanovic and Terry, are a tremendous threat for the Blues in the air and anywhere around the opponent’s goal.

With rumors swirling of John Terry’s potential exit from Chelsea in the summer, it would surprise very few supporters if it was Gary Cahill who was chosen to wear the captain’s armband next. While not the fiery leader that Terry is, the added responsibility of the armband may be what it takes for Cahill to step in to Terry’s role as the leader of Chelsea.

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