Socceroo Tim Cahill has admitted he was considering “amazing offers” by Middle Eastern clubs before he settled on moving to Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua.
He says he was pushed to move to the Chinese Super League for the desire to wear the Socceroos jersey again.
“I wouldn’t say I was close,” he said on a potential Middle East switch.
“There definitely were some amazing offers.
“You have to take in a lot of circumstances when you are ambassador for your country in football and you want to stay playing international football … when you have big influences in the game that you respect when you ask for advice.”
Cahill reportedly settled for a $9.6 million deal with the Chinese outfit after he was released by US team New York Red Bulls.
Cahill spoke very highly of the Middle East and repeated his support of holding the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“I’m a massive fan of Qatar and Dubai,” he said.
“I travelled there every year when I was in the Premier League to get a rehab … or just to rest.
“I don’t know the politics behind it and the things that go on in the country.
“I’m going off personal experiences, the way we were treated as Australians when we played in Qatar.”