John Terry
Cahill insists that Terry can put his troubles behind him on the pitch. REUTERS

Gary Cahill believes that John Terry being on the pitch for England last night brought a sense of calm to the side, as England defeated Sweden 1-0 in a friendly at Wembley.

Terry has been at the centre of yet another controversy over the past few weeks, with the international side's skipper facing racism allegations from QPR defender Anton Ferdinand.

Investigations by the FA and Metropolitan Police are still taking place, and Terry has been instructed not to comment on the situation, with England press officers blocking questions about the subject at the press conference before last night's match.

And while off-field problems continue to follow the Chelsea star, Cahill, who himself is a target for a move to Stamford Bridge in the January transfer period, believes that having Terry around the England camp makes the side play in a much more comfortable way.

"I think sometimes the relief is when you are playing football away from whatever is going on away from the football pitch," Cahill told Sky Sports.

"He was first class tonight as you saw and it's very easy and comfortable to play alongside him."

Cahill is the subject of a great deal of transfer gossip, starring for Bolton since he joined the club in 2008. The defender's contract with the club runs out next summer, and while Arsenal were said to having been closing in on Cahill in the last window, a price for the move couldn't be agreed to.

And now Arsene Wenger's interest in Cahill appears to have cooled, with the Gunners manager telling reporters that he is no longer on the lookout for a defender after signing Per Mertesacker and Andre Santos. Chelsea have since emerged as favourites to land the 25-year-old, and would be able to meet Bolton's asking price of £13 million in January if they are desperate enough.

With the Trotters currently in the relegation zone though, the club will no doubt try and hold on to Cahill for as long as possible; letting the England international go for free might be more profitable if he helps keep Bolton in the Premier League.

But Chelsea could offer a price that the side are hard pressed to refuse, and as Cahill continues to stall on contract talks, he is clearly considering his options for the next transfer window.