Everton star Tim Cahill insists he is not getting ahead himself after experiencing a bout of heightened exposure in recent times. The Australian international has been all over the press in the lead-up to this week's World Cup, doing advertisements with the world's biggest names and being the face of the Socceroos campaign following a successful 2006.

But the 30-year old says he will not let any of the attention change him as a person or the way he conducts himself on or off the pitch.

"They knew who I was in Australia in 2006, but not to a great extent," Cahill said. "Now, with the momentum of a second World Cup, it has gone crazy. I've been doing advertising campaigns with Kaká and Wayne Rooney, and other big players throughout the world, bringing out a DVD.

"It's been invigorating and I've enjoyed it, but there are so many things I've done that have been hard to take in. I remember cleaning boots at Millwall on £250 a week and feeling like a millionaire.

"I'd made it then. At that time, if I never played for another club it wouldn't have bothered me too much because I'd made it with a football team in England. I knew then that, no matter what happened, I would be able to tell my kids I made it with a professional club in England. That was probably one of the happiest times in my career."

Cahill and the Socceroos are up against Germany in their opening group stage match of the 2010 World Cup on Monday morning, 4:00am AEST.

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