Why Gary Cahill Is on Course to Become a Chelsea and England Legend

Roy Hodgson wasn't expecting much ahead of England's visit to Scotland this week. Apparently international friendlies carry "little significance" these days.

The same could be said of Gary Cahill when he joined Chelsea.

Signed for £7 million from Bolton Wanderers, he was an unglamorous capture. He was English for one and coming from a team in the midst of a relegation battle.

Bargains in January aren't the done thing. Fans want to see big-money signings from exotic locations to give their teams a winter boost, not players plying their trade in the industrial north.

Everything about Cahill was the opposite of Chelsea, who 12 months earlier had spent £24 million on bringing David Luiz to West London. Now that was a signing that wrote headlines and captured the imagination.

Cahill escaped under the radar almost, and if there was an expectation, it was that he would fail. It certainly wasn't that he would become a major asset for club and country.

Right now Cahill is on the road to legend status.

Outside of John Terry, not since Ricardo Carvalho's time at Stamford Bridge has a defender been so respected at Chelsea.

Quiet and unassuming, Cahill has made a habit of bucking the trend throughout his career. He doesn't fit the stereotype of what we now know to be the modern footballer—there's no razzmatazz or court injunctions here.

He does what he's paid to do and nothing more: play football.

Cahill was again exceptional for England in their 3-1 victory north of the border on Tuesday evening, as he has been for Chelsea since he joined the club.

The impression is sometimes that Terry makes him appear a better defender than he actually is, but on international duty, without his captain alongside him, he rarely puts a foot wrong.

And when his defensive partners have included Phil Jagielka and Chris Smalling, that's some feat.

Indeed, in his 45 minutes against Scotland, Cahill did for Smalling what Terry apparently does for him: He made him appear accomplished and far from the error-prone defender we often see in a Manchester United shirt.

It all comes on the back of a player who has grafted his way to the top.

Cahill arrived at Chelsea having earned his shot at the big time. It wasn't about hype or trends about why Andre Villas-Boas signed him, either; it was more to do with reputation and the right kind of attitude.

Not getting games at Aston Villa in his youth—believe it or not then manager Martin O'Neill allowed him to leave Villa Park in 2008 in favour of keeping Zat Knight—Cahill took a step back to aid his progression.

It was a risk but one worth taking. It's one that has paid off—and remarkably so.

Cahill has been confident in his ability and has never looked out of place in the Chelsea back line. He knew what he was up against when he arrived, and in typical fashion, he knuckled down and applied himself.

From a relegation battle in January, he was part of a Champions League-winning team come May.

And not from the bench or watching in the stands, but by playing 120 minutes with a thigh injury against Bayern Munich on their home patch.

That night he had to dig deep. Experience went out of the window—it was about who wanted that victory the most, and eventually it was Chelsea.

Didier Drogba scored the penalty that gave Chelsea victory and rightly took the plaudits. Yet at the back, unassuming as usual, Cahill was immaculate again in the face of adversity.

Spirit counts for so much in sport, and Cahill has it in abundance. Coupled with his talent, the Englishman has grown into one of the finest defenders of his generation.

He hasn't rested on his laurels, however. He isn't content to have a Champions league winners medal in his pocket. He wants more.

Cahill's performances for Chelsea and England show us that. He pushes forward, battles his way to success.

They're the qualities that persuaded Chelsea to sign him almost three years ago, and they grow stronger with every performance.

Legends are men of the people; football players who supporters can relate. They do the unthinkable, break the rules and achieve beyond their means in the way Chelsea's defender has.

There is an often-quoted proverb that nice guys finish last. Gary Cahill tells us that's all baloney.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes.