He was part of the youth team at Liverpool, but left for Accrington Stanley in September 2001 after realising he did not have a future at Anfield.
In July 2009, Accrington players Jay Harris, Robert Williams, David Mannix, and Andy Mangan received 5–12-month bans for betting against their own club.
[7] On 8 June 2012, Cavangh joined Football League Two side Rochdale on a free transfer, linking up with former manager John Coleman.
Shortly after joining Southport, Cavanagh took up a full-time post as a foundation coach at Everton, retiring from playing to focus on this stage of his career.
[10] On 3 July 2023, Cavanagh joined newly promoted Championship club Plymouth Argyle in the role of first-team coach to Steven Schumacher.