Gary Cahill: Chelsea move was opportunity I couldn’t turn down

Gary Cahill admitted he could not turn down the chance to challenge for silverware with Chelsea after the defender finally completed his move to Stamford Bridge from Bolton Wanderers on Monday.

Cahill, who passed a medical with the west Londoners on Saturday after the two clubs settled on a reported £7m fee for the centre-half earlier this month, hailed the move as a “big opportunity” for him.

“Chelsea is a massive club, it is a club that looks to win trophies season in season out and it is a big opportunity for me to be a part of that. Opportunities like this you can’t turn down,” he said.

“This is the right move for me at the right time and I would like to thank everyone at Bolton because I’ve had a great four years at the football club.

“My spell with Wanderers has enabled me to break into the England squad, and I would particularly like to thank the fans for their support along the way. I always appreciated their backing.”

Cahill, who will wear the No24 shirt for the Blues, is eligible to play in the FA Cup this season having not featured in Bolton’s third-round clash with Macclesfield.

Chelsea boss André Villas-Boas was full of praise for the defender after the Blues’ 1-0 win over Sunderland on Saturday, which Cahill watched from the stands at Stamford Bridge.

“He has speed of anticipation [and] is an English international, of course,” said Villas-Boas. “Competition will be tight for him but we brought him in to become better as a team.”

The England international’s former manager Owen Coyle admits losing the 26-year-old will be a big blow for his side as they continue their bid for Premier League survival.

“Gary was a terrific player for Bolton and a great lad,” said Coyle on Monday. “There’s no getting away from it, there’s never an easy time to lose a player of that quality.”