The five places that made me: Tim Cahill

Tim Cahill, professional soccer player.

SYDNEY

Although I haven't lived there in almost 20 years, Sydney will always be "home" to me. I was born there and grew up moving between places in the western suburbs. It was there that I first kicked a football with my dad and brothers and developed my love for the game that would take me further than I ever could have imagined when I was up late at night watching EPL and Series A matches on TV.

LONDON

I first went to London as a teenager, moving overseas on the back of my family's sacrifice in the hope of getting a shot at being a footballer. I was under a lot of pressure to "make it" and being away from my family, who I am extremely close to, was something I found really difficult. I have both good and bad memories of the city but it definitely played a big part in who I became. It was the city in which I signed my first professional contract and where my first boy, Kyah, was born.

LIVERPOOL

Moving to Liverpool and then the surrounding area to me was significant because it was when I signed my first EPL contract. As the kid who had watched these games on TV, this was the fulfillment of a dream that had been almost 20 years in the making. The city of Liverpool was so important because that was where our home ground, Goodison Park, was. That ground would become the scene of so many amazing memories over the years that followed.

NEW YORK

Moving away from England and the football there was a big step for me but it was a decision I made both for myself and for my family. At 33 years of age, I needed to give my body some respite from the machine that is life in the EPL if I wanted to prolong my international career. It was also a way of giving back to my wife and kids, to show them a new part of the world where I didn't have to be Tim Cahill the footballer and was able to spend more time with them.  It was an eye-opening experience for all of us but one that we all embraced. My family loved the entertainment aspect that America brings to sport and to everyday life.

SHANGHAI

The most recent stop on my footballing journey has opened my eyes to a whole new world. Shanghai wasn't the obvious choice for me but I loved the idea of moving a bit out of my comfort zone and embracing a totally new culture. I love that my kids can learn Mandarin at school, take Chinese Kung Fu classes and try all of the different foods that China has to offer as I feel that properly experiencing different cultures is going to be really beneficial to them growing up. As for me, it's a very different experience living and working in a country where you don't speak the same language but I've truly loved it so far and am looking forward to experiencing it further. And it's a lot of fun being the face for Australia Post's Load&Go China card, and having a little role to play in the rapidly expanding tourism trade between Australia and China.