Bolton Wanderers defender Gary Cahill is delighted with his scoring record this season.

Cahill is currently Bolton's joint-top scorer with five goals to his name in 15 matches, and with two in two games this past week.

The defender said: "It's something I wanted to improve upon this year, and I'm hungry for goals.

"When you have scored a few, it breeds confidence. Every time you go up, you think you are going to score.

"I've five now and we're not into January. Long may that continue."

Cahill, who celebrates his 24th birthday on Saturday, had scored just seven goals in his previous 134 appearances for Aston Villa, Burnley, Sheffield United and Bolton.

Explaining his new-found prowess to the Bolton News, he said: "I get through a bit of running, getting up and down.

"If I get on the end of things, I stick them in the net. The way we play with set pieces, we are quite dangerous. I go up for throw-ins, so I do get a lot of time up there. I tend to linger about.

"Whether the manager likes it or not, I don't know, but I stay there.

"I just hope the ball falls to me or I can get in an area where I can get a shot off or get my head on it."