When Gary Cahill signed for Chelsea from Bolton Wanderers seven-and-a-half years ago, few could have predicted the impact he would go on to have over the course of his time at Stamford Bridge.



Cahill arrived as a very good Premier League defender. He departs as a Chelsea legend and club captain, having been an integral member of a side which won a host of honours both domestically and on the European stage, including two Premier League titles and the Champions League.



The imposing Yorkshire man will be most remembered for the role he played in those trophy successes. He was a near ever-present on both occasions he won the Premier League, first alongside John Terry in 2014/15, and then on the left of a back three having had to alter his game in 2016/17. Each time, Cahill was rewarded for the overall quality of his performances by being named in the PFA Team of the Season, an honour he achieved on three separate occasions during his time at the club.



Of course, no Chelsea supporter will ever forget the part he played on the club’s greatest night when we were crowned European champions in 2012.

Having picked up an injury in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, there was a real chance he would not make the ultimate showpiece fixture, but with Terry and Branislav Ivanovic suspended both Cahill and David Luiz were asked to play through the pain barrier for what proved, as they must have been dreading given some much training missed in the preceding weeks, the maximum 120 minutes.



Cahill played his full part in standing up to wave after wave of Bayern Munich pressure as we defied the odds to overcome the Germans on penalties in their own stadium.

