Tim Cahill made it official on Tuesday morning, announcing that he’d signed with Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua hours after leaving the New York Red Bulls by mutual consent.
Cahill, 35, spent two-and-a-half years in New York, scoring 14 goals and notching 10 assists in 62 regular season games. He helped lead the Red Bulls to the Supporters’ Shield in 2013, recording 11 goals and five assists and earning MLS Best XI honors.
However, his playing time and production tailed off in 2014, with the Australian international missing a good chunk of the season while at the World Cup and finishing the year with just two goals and two assists in 23 appearances.
Cahill, who helped Australia win its first Asian Cup over the weekend, had other options outside of China, telling Fox Sports Australia that he had offers to return to former club Everton in the English Premier League and to reunite with ex-Everton manager David Moyes at La Liga side Real Sociedad.
The lure of a new challenge in China was too great, though, as Cahill chose to head to Shanghai after talking his options over with former Red Bull teammate Thierry Henry, among others.
“Basically I spent most of the morning on the phone to the boys,” Cahill told Fox Sports. “I spoke to Thierry Henry via text and [chairman] Bill Kenwright at Everton and [Australia manager] Ange Postecoglou. Spoke to Moyes about possibly going to La Liga.
“’Cause I’ve done the Premier League, ‘cause I’ve done America… China is a growing market for football. I’m at an age when I want to give back to football and still play at a high level.”
Cahill is expected to be available for Shanghai Shenhua at the start of the Chinese Super League season in March.
