Tim Cahill said he loved being under pressure to score goals after his brace in Australia's 4-0 win over India at the Asian Cup on Monday lifted his record to 24 goals in 48 internationals.
"A lot of people expect me to score and it doesn't matter to me if I am playing in midfield or up front, I just want to deliver, and keep the goals coming," Cahill told reporters.
- Despite loss, Indians earn respect
"It's a great feeling to score whoever you are playing against, and I'm pleased I got two today, but I probably should have got more," he said after Australia eased past India in their opening Group C match.
Cahill, who plays as a marauding midfielder for his country and club side Everton, has a fine scoring ratio of 122 goals in 460 matches in England, where he previously played for Millwall.
A large proportion of those have come with his head despite his relatively small height of 5ft 8 inches (1.72 metres), and his second against India illustrated just how devastating he can be against taller defenders.
"It went my way but the most important thing today was that we won against a side determined to keep the score down. A victory like this builds confidence and that helps you win titles in competitions like this," he said.
Bob Houghton, India's English coach, was pleased that his side, making their first Asian Cup appearance for 27 years, kept the score down to four.
"It was the first time we have played a team of that standard in a competitive match and I am proud of the way my players performed," he said.
"But Australia went offside in the buildup to the first goal, and if we had held out and not conceded the third in the last minute of the first half, then things might have been different.
"Credit to Australia though, they are an excellent side, but we will learn from this and hopefully get a better result against Bahrain in our next match," Houghton added.
