New York Red Bulls star Tim Cahill has revealed that he feels Australia's qualifying campaign for the 2014 World Cup was the hardest he has been involved in.
The Socceroos booked their spot in the final 32 at Brazil 2014 by beating Iraq 1-0 in Sydney in June and Cahill, who joined the Red Bulls from Everton in 2012, was again along for the ride.
"It was a new beginning for me," he told Channel 9's Cricket Show of his move to Major League Soccer.
"Finding a happy medium to continue my Socceroos career and it has worked out well with the Red Bulls winning our first title and Australia getting back to the World Cup."
When quizzed on the Socceroos' World Cup qualifying campaign, the former Everton star admitted it had been a very tricky pathway this time around after getting through to the 2006 and 2010 tournaments in Germany and South Africa respectively.
"In all honesty, it was the hardest World Cup qualifying campaign ever, of all three. It was amazing that we could do something special for our country. It was about sticking together as a nation, as a team, going through the hard times of the qualifying process together," he added.
And Cahill, who netted two goals against Japan at Germany 2006, added further: "That's what dreams are made of.
"Every kid who aspires to play football dreams of that in the backyard. I was sitting on the bench and then I got the call. That feeling was a reward for family and friends and still something I will never forget."
