Sheffield United deal for future England international was a stroke of genius - the rest was history after £5m transfer | OneFootball

The defender went on to earn 61 caps for his country after a loan spell at Bramall Lane.

Former Sheffield United defender Gary Cahill's decision to move to Bramall Lane on loan in 2007 turned out to be a stroke of genius.

When Gary Cahill returned to Aston Villa from a loan spell at Burnley in 2005, he likely would have been hoping that he had played his last game in the Championship for quite some time.

The young centre-back went on to make 20 appearances in the Premier League for Villa during the 2006/07 season, including games against the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool, but he would be sent out on loan once more ahead of the following season.

He had won Burnley's Young Player of the Year award during a temporary spell in the second tier two years earlier, so he may have had some reservations about dropping out of the top flight again, but he joined Sheffield United on a three-month loan in September 2007.

Despite being a supporter of Sheffield Wednesday, Cahill enjoyed a successful few months as a Blade, which gave him the platform to have an outstanding career at both club and international level.

Sheffield United loan was key for Gary Cahill

Having failed to nail down a place in the Aston Villa squad despite making 20 appearances in the Premier League the previous season, Cahill needed to prove that he was capable of standing out in the Championship during his spell at Sheffield United.

The defender made 16 appearances for the Blades, scoring in away victories over Stoke City and Charlton Athletic, as he proved to be ever-present in Bryan Robson's back line.

Cahill spoke about his future during an interview in December 2007, as per Sky Sports.

"We are still waiting on contact from Villa," Cahill said.

"My agent has tried speaking to them and so have United but Martin O'Neill holds all the cards and so we will have to wait and see.

"Hopefully something can be decided in the coming week."

Robson was keen to keep Cahill at Bramall Lane beyond his initial three-month loan, which shows how much of an impact he made during his short stay at the club.

However, he returned to Villa Park later that month, but his performances for Sheffield United had alerted other clubs going into the January transfer window in 2008, including Birmingham City.

Gary Cahill went on to enjoy a successful career after Sheffield United loan

At the age of 22, Cahill joined Bolton Wanderers from Aston Villa for a fee worth in the region of £5 million in January 2008, just over a month after he left Sheffield United.

The move gave him another chance to prove himself in the Premier League, and he impressed for Bolton during his four years in Greater Manchester, helping the club preserve their top flight status before his departure in 2012.

Cahill joined Chelsea for around £7 million during the January transfer window in 2012, and Bolton went on to be relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2011/12 season in his absence.

"Chelsea is a massive club that looks to win trophies season in, season out," Cahill said.

"My spell with Wanderers has enabled me to break into the England squad.

"This is the right move for me at the right time."

Cahill won the UEFA Champions League, two Premier League titles, two FA Cups, the League Cup, and the UEFA Europa League twice with Chelsea.

He was also named in the PFA Team of the Year on three occasions, as well as representing England at two World Cups and a European Championship.

Who knows whether he would have gone on to captain Chelsea and England if he had not joined Sheffield United on loan in 2007 after falling down the pecking order at Aston Villa?