A lifelong “blue” fan, Tim Cahill had no second thoughts when Shanghai premier soccer club Greenland Shenhua came knocking on his door.

The 35-year-old Australian has worn a blue jersey at Millwall in Sydney and Everton in England. When Shenhua recruited him six months ago, Cahill was happy to sign up for another “blue” adventure.

Cahill, who has scored 168 goals in his career, including seven for Shenhua, took some time out from a training session for an exclusive chat with Shanghai Daily.

“Chinese football is growing,” said Cahill. “I’ve played for the Asian group (with the national team) for nearly a decade and have seen the impact the Chinese team had on the 2013 Asian Champions League and on the Chinese Super League. I have also heard that President Xi Jinping wants to eventually bring the World Cup to China.”

After playing in Australia, England and for the Red Bulls in New York, Cahill said he is happy to be in Shanghai. He has missed only one of 21 games since pulling on the Shenhua jersey five months ago.

“My first task after arriving here was to engross myself in the atmosphere of the players and the team,” said Cahill, who is fondly called dage, or “elder brother,” by his Chinese teammates. “I think the players know the efforts I put forth for the club and in training every day. I work 24/7.”

After a slow start, in which he found the net only once in 13 matches, local media began speculating that Cahill might be past his prime and could be offloaded in the mid-season transfer window.

In characteristic style, Cahill hit back, scoring six goals in the last seven league matches. His critics have gone silent. He said all the media chatter didn’t faze him.

“I’m learning the culture of the game here,” he said. “I feel that there’s a lot of emphasis on scoring goals, no matter how you play. For me, it’s the opposite. It’s about what you can give to your teammates. I need to know they trust me. I don’t see not scoring goals as pressure. Goals will always come.”

He added, “I came here to help the game grow. Having an impact on the club and connecting with fans: that’s what I care about. If the players and fans are good to me, I’ll always have a future in Chinese football.”

Mid-season transfer rumor

When the CSL mid-season transfer window opened in June, rumor was rife that Cahill might be replaced by a new striker. The Australian showed great professionalism in handling the affair.

“For me, it was just a rumor,” he said. “An uneducated journalist can write reports without facts, but I just keep playing as a professional should. As for stories and rumors, I take it as a compliment that people are writing about me.”

Cahill said he is grateful for the support he received from fans who wanted him to stay with the club.

“When I started scoring, it wasn’t a reward just for me, but also for them, for their loyalty,” he said. “To give fans hope and give them vision makes me happy.”

Greenland Shenhua is now fifth in the 16-team CSL, with 32 points after 21 games – eight points below fourth-place Beijing Guo’an. Shanghai SIPG tops the standings with 45 points.

Cahill rates the team’s performance so far at 6.5 out of 10. It takes time, he said, to create chemistry among teammates.

“There is no way that we will finish out of the top six,” he predicted. “But it’s also hard to fight for the championship. If the players can stay together next season, we can set a higher goal. This year, we have to go for the CFA Cup and get an Asian Champions League spot, now that we have a stronger team.”

English Premier League style in Shenhua

Cahill welcomed the signing of Mali international Mohamod Sissoko and Senegal striker Demba Ba in the mid-season transfer window ­— guys he played against in the English Premier League. The two quickly fit into the team, with Ba finding the net in his debut against old foe Beijing Guo’an on July 15.

“I think we never played that way before,” Cahill said of the game that Shenhua won 3-1. “That was like a Premier League game ­— more tactical and smart, not leaving any holes or making mistakes.”

He said Sissoko and Ba are top quality players who can really change the game.

“Demba Ba has played for some of the biggest clubs in the biggest leagues in the world,” he said. “The professionalism the pair brings is more important than just being superstars. Professionalism is the key. Top quality players are the key to Chinese football. There is a reason for clubs to make big signings.”

Cahill said he thoroughly enjoys working with his Chinese colleagues.

“We laugh and joke together, even if sometimes we don’t understand each other,” he said. “It’s a different connection. I don’t just hang out with the foreign players.”

Cahill told Sissoko and Ba that the quicker they involved themselves in Chinese culture, players and staff, the faster they would be able to deliver results.

Cahill and his wife Rebekah Greenhill were childhood sweethearts. After morning training sessions, he tries to spend time with her and their four children. He said he enjoys taking the kids swimming, to visit museums or to have a picnic in the park.

Rebekah likes shopping, he said, and the Kerry Center in Pudong is one of her favorite malls because there are facilities to occupy the children.

The family enjoys trying out local cuisine. Cahill said he is amazed at the variety of ways Chinese cook vegetables.

“All the green leafy veggies are delicious cooked with different sauces in various ways,” he said.

“I eat a lot of fish here, too. Frog, eel, tongue … I have tried almost everything,” he added.

One of his favorites is Beijing duck.

“The other day I walked into a restaurant in Xintiandi with my two brothers and a few friends, and simply placed an order for two Beijing ducks,” he said. “The waiter looked askance, so I repeated the order. My brother also asked for the bones and everything that was left. It may have seemed weird, but that’s what we do in Samoa. We don’t waste any food.”

Cahill’s mother is Samoan and his father is of Irish descent. He was born in Sydney.

Cahill maintains contact with fans through his official Weibo account. In late June, he took his family with him for an away game at Shanghai Yuanshen Stadium against rival Shanghai Shenxin. His family sat among Shenhua fans in the stands.

“It was very special to see my family and children in the crowd with Shenhua supporters,” he later wrote on Weibo, posting pictures of the event. “Thanks for taking care of them.”

Would he like to stay in Shenhua longer?

“Of course,” he said, without a moment’s hesitation. “As a footballer, I play to stay. My previous track record says I’m loyal. My relationship with (club president) Mr Wu (Xiaohui) is fantastic, and the relationship with fans is amazing. The fans want me to stay. That’s the most important thing. I’m an Asian player, and I feel I have a lot to offer this club.”

Cahill has a few months left on his current contract.

“I know that I have great caliber and good statistics that will allow me to play on for two or three more years,” he said.

Cahill considers himself a bit of an ambassador for the Shanghai team. He has done interviews with a number of media, including CCTV and Australia’s Channel Seven.

“I want to share the story of Shanghai Shenhua, the change and club president Wu’s love of the game and the club,” he said. “We are passionate about football in China because it’s a growing market. It is no longer a sleeping giant. One thing I like about Chinese football are the owners. Investment is put into clubs without immediate prospects of making any money.”

Cahill said he might consider becoming a manager someday. But for now, his vision is more immediate. “I want to play in the 2018 World Cup,” he said.