Tim Cahill '˜offered to Hearts and Hibs' in bid to boost World Cup hopes

Australia international Tim Cahill has reportedly been offered as a low budget option to both Hearts and Hibs, as the player looks to cement his place in the Socceroos World Cup squad.

The 38-year-old attacker, who is a free agent after leaving Melbourne City in the A-League, is desperate for game time ahead of this year’s tournament in Russia in what will surely be his last major tournament as a player.

Cahill spent seven years with Millwall before joining Everton in 2004, where he stayed for eight years.

Since departing Goodison in 2012, the Sydney-born forward has turned out for New York Red Bulls, Shanghai Shenhua and Hangzhou Greentown in the Chinese Super League, before returning home to sign for Melbourne City in August 2016.

Tim Cahill takes part in a Socceroos training session last year. The Australian forward is looking to boost his World Cup hopes. Picture: Getty Images

However, he left AAMI Park in December last year after 11 goals in 28 appearances with a view to getting more game time elsewhere.

But rumours linking him with a return to Millwall look to be wide of the mark, with the Lions denying any interest in their former player.

An article on Australia-based site The World Game appears to suggest that Hearts may be a more viable option for Cahill with the Tynecastle club set to receive just shy of £600,000 from the sale of Kyle Lafferty to a ‘Middle East or Asian’ team.

Lafferty is suspended for this weekend’s Scottish Cup derby with rivals Hibs, while Craig Levein has made it clear he is looking to add a striker to his squad ahead of Sunday’s match.

Hibs have already added one Australian to their ranks in this window, with striker Jamie Maclaren joining on a loan deal from SV Darmstadt 98 until the end of the season.