It is fair to say that Gary Cahill's first two years at Bolton Wanderers have been a real success story, both personally and professionally.

Since moving from Aston Villa in January 2008, the 24-year-old has established himself into one of the finest centre-backs in the Premier League with his consistent displays earning several call-ups to the England squad.

But the setback that the defender received five weeks ago - just days after his second anniversary at the Reebok - highlights how unpredictable football can be.

He was diagnosed with a blood clot in his left arm and after being an ever-present in Wanderers' rearguard up until the point, Cahill was left to face the prospect of spending time away from playing the sport he loves.

In this exclusive interview with the Saturday's official matchday programme, last season's Players' Player of the Year talks about his experiences over the last month and how hopeful he is of a return to competitive action for the club in the very near future.

He said: "Ever since I have moved to Bolton my career has progressed, missing just the odd game and picking up a slight knock here and there.



"And then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I came in for a match against Fulham and later that afternoon I was taken to hospital and told that I had a blood clot.

"It was a shock and hard to take because in football you do get injuries, whether it is in a game or training, but this was something completely different.

"Over the last month I had a full range of emotions. I have experienced the disappointment and concern about my health and how much football I could miss, and the elation and real upbeat feeling of being told that I have a chance of playing again this season."

An unexpectedly eventful month started ahead of that home game with the Cottagers at the beginning of February.

"On the Saturday when I got out of the shower before heading to the Reebok, I knew that something wasn't right so I came in a little bit earlier than normal. Because there was so much discolouring in my hand and swelling in my arm, the doctor sent me to the hospital straight away. I looked massive on one arm and not on the other!

"I speak to my mum and dad regularly and they come to every home match to watch me. Because my arm hadn't really been a concern then they didn't know anything about the fact that I had been taken to hospital given that I hadn't mentioned anything to them. So they didn't end up watching the Fulham match as they had expected to, they came to the hospital to see me!"

While much of the post-match debate centred on Kevin Davies'controversial disallowed goal against Fulham, behind the scenes Cahill was already undergoing treatment.

And it only came to light in the manager's press conference the following Monday morning that the defender had spent a couple of days in hospital over that weekend.



By that time though, an important stage of Cahill's condition had already been dealt with.

"Everyone who I have seen has been great," said Cahill "On the day of the game I was taken to the Alexandra Hospital in Manchester and the people there cleared the clot.

"They put a tube in my arm and fed it up the vein and for 24 hours they pumped a fluid into the clot which dissolved it. The next day I had a special balloon into my arm which swelled the vein so they could clean it all out.

"My collar bone and rib were too close together which meant that every time I lifted my arm up in the air my vein was getting trapped. It's similar to when a hose-pipe gets a kink. That will have happened every single time and it was eventually one too many, which caused the clot.

"In a way, it always destined to happen. If it didn't now then somewhere along the line it would have, so in that respect it is good that it has been dealt with.

"John Thompson was the surgeon's name and he was brilliant with me. Dealing with my condition was his niche and he actually teaches other surgeons how to perform the operation, so if anybody could help then he certainly could!

"He operated on the rib and further tests down there showed that the vein was in really good condition. In fact, I can put the clot behind me now because it's all about recovering from the operation.

"Catching it so early has saved months of treatment."



Indeed, such medical conditions as a blood clot usually result in a prolonged period on the sidelines and it was widely expected that Cahill's season was over when the news broke.

But Wanderers supporters can look forward to his return sooner rather than later now that he is expected to resume training with the first- team in the upcoming week.

"To say that I have only missed a month so far and I'm back doing fitness work and on the verge of returning to full training with the rest of the squad, then it is massive turnaround," explained Cahill.

"It has worked out to be bad timing in the respect that we have had a good run of fixtures which I was looking forward to playing in, but on the flip side I now have a chance to feature in the run-in to the season.

"Obviously when you are out of action then you are going to lose your match fitness and that is what I'm trying to get back. I'm out there running and my legs feel really strong at this moment in time, and the easier it gets with the arm and rib areas then the more work I can do.

"Like everyone says, match fitness is completely different to work in the gym and on the training ground and I'm sure that when the time comes for me to get back out in competitive action then it will be pretty demanding.

"You only get back to those levels by playing games and I'm going to work hard and make sure that I will be in the best possible condition when that time comes around.

"There is obviously the disappointment with England as well. I was hoping my performances would have resulted in a call-up for the Egypt friendly because when you are in the squad then you always have a chance of playing.

"But I can't do anything about it and now it's all about getting back fit and concentrating on my form for Bolton Wanderers. If I can get back playing well and pick up where I left off before the end of the season then you never know what might happen in terms of England."

Speaking to Cahill, it is clear that there is genuine appreciation for all the support he has received on his road to recovery, and he would like to express his gratitude to all involved.



He explained: "My phone went crazy when I turned it back on after spending a couple of days in the hospital - I had to give it ten minutes for all the texts to come through!

"I had messages of support from everybody - friends from back home, people in football, team mates, just everybody in general.

"Wanderers' supporters have been fantastic because I have had countless amounts of well wishes and 'get well soon' cards. I really do appreciate all these kind gestures.

"I also have to say thank-you to everyone at the football club. The Chairman came to see me at hospital when I was admitted and the Gaffer, back-room staff and team-mates have been very supportive. But I have to give a special mention to our Club Doctor Jonathan Tobin who was outstanding throughout."

Cahill has been watching on from the sidelines hand he is delighted that his team-mates have been able to carry on the good work at the Reebok since the turn of the year.

"The lads have done well," he concluded. "The West Ham win last weekend was massive, and before that the three points against Wolves were really important as well.

"Watching that game was a strange experience for me - I was kicking and heading every ball from the stands, just like the supporters! It was frustrating knowing that everything was out of my hands and I couldn't influence anything, especially when they hit the post twice.

"Having 32 points going into the last eight matches of the season is a healthy position to be in."