TIM Cahill left Melbourne City for a romantic return to Millwall in a bid to get his World Cup preparation back on track.

A return to the Championship after time on the bench in the A-League has not yielded meaningful game time so far in England, and despite an assumption that match minutes are crucial to be a part of Bert van Marwijk’s squad, Cahill thinks otherwise.

In an exclusive interview with Fox Sports’ Just for Kicks the 38-year-old revealed the real reasons behind his decision to swap the A-League for England’s second flight.

But, he added, he is not concerned about his match time so far, outlining the other benefits of his move back to England.

“I don’t think it’s about playing. 100% it’s not,” Cahill said.

Tim Cahill of Millwall Source: Getty Images

“And yeah, everyone says oh, you gotta play, gotta play to get to the World Cup. Let’s just put the World Cup aside for a moment. This is about being in a professional environment that tests me every day. And hopefully, touching wood, no injuries.”

The striker’s decision to join the Lions has come under some criticism, with some predicting he could find himself in a situation similar to the plight that saw him depart Melbourne. But Cahill defends his decision, and believes the lure of a tougher challenge is one he couldn’t ignore.

“It’s the level of the league, the level and the calibre of players you’re playing against and it’s the test that you get twice a week preparing for teams, you know we’re back in there, studying players, videos, set plays, five a sides,” he said.

“If you have an opportunity to play at a higher level, then I feel any individual should try it.”

Cahill reflected on his time in the A-League, and indicated that he thrived on the pressure placed on him to perform on the biggest stage for City.

“The A-League, the move home, Melbourne City was fantastic. It was professional, great facilities, you know, I was first in, last out. I loved it,” the 38-year-old said.

Tim Cahill of Millwall Source: Getty Images

“I loved it because I was close to the training ground. I needed that training ground environment. Every single day there were eyes on me, there was always, you know, something. Is he going to play, is he going to score? And I love that. I loved it because it meant I had to play in the big games and show up.”

“I had an amazing time in the A-League. The memories I will have in the league are really fond ones. And my time at Melbourne City was really fantastic, everything went perfect and to plan.”

After playing 120 minutes for the Socceroos against Syria, Australia’s most prolific international attacker returned to find himself on the City bench for three consecutive matches – a decision played a big role in determining his club future.

“I think for me, when you play 120 minutes, and you do what you do, and you stay up to three, four in the morning getting treatment and you’re in the training ground for 9 o’clock the next morning, the day after, that’s my intent to be positive,” Cahill said.

“Regardless of any situation. That’s what I signed up for. You know, I don’t know, for three games after I sat on the bench, and I honestly have no problem with that because that’s the way football goes.”

Tim Cahill of Millwall comes on for his debut Source: Getty Images

“If you’re not part of the plans then you’re not part of the plans. The key thing is whether you are going to be happy to sit there for the rest of the season. Say hello to the fans, sign autographs, it’s not in my DNA and it never will be.”

“I knew what I could achieve, and I took those 6 weeks off to train by myself and get myself to a level and I can’t say that I guaranteed, knew what I was going to do, but I left it long enough to know, that, don’t pick the easy option. This for me is, just amazing.”

Millwall continue their Championship campaign when they take on Burton Albion on Sunday.