Steven Caulker Training with us | Vital Football

Steven Caulker Training with us

ZAKKY

Vital Football Hero
Former England defender Steven Caulker is understood to be training with Wigan Athletic in the hope of winning a full-time contract. The 26-year-old has been a free agent since parting company with SPL outfit Dundee at the end of last season. And despite having been linked with Championship big guns Aston Villa, the Wigan Post understands Caulker has joined up with the Latics squad at Euxton. Chey Dunkley and Cedric Kipre have been the ever-present central defensive partnership in the league this term, in the absence of Dan Burn, who broke a foot in the final pre-season friendly at Rangers. Around the world in pancakes Pancakes are one of the most universal foods, with countries across six continents justifiably proud of their own unique versions. Promoted by booking.com [Opt out of Adyoulike ad targeting] Burn is expected back in the fold in the next couple of weeks – although he is scheduled to move to Brighton in January – while Alex Bruce also provides able cover. But Paul Cook still feels his squad is short in numbers, and will run the rule over Caulker before deciding if he’s worth having on board. London-born Caulker came through the ranks at Tottenham, and represented Team GB at the 2012 Olympics before winning his only England cap later that year. In the summer of 2013 he joined Cardiff for £8million, and played every minute of all 38 Premier League games in his first season, although he was unable to prevent them being relegated back to the Championship. He joined QPR in 2014 and, after loan spells at Southampton and Liverpool, moved to Dundee in February this year. Despite originally penning a deal until next summer, he exercised a release clause on transfer deadline day that saw him become a free agent. The player admitted last summer, in an interview with the Guardian newspaper, his career had been adversely affected by problems with alcohol, gambling addiction and depression. But if Latics boss Cook can tap into anything like the potential Caulker showed earlier in his career, he could prove to be a shrewd capture.

Read more at: https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/fo...fender-training-with-wigan-athletic-1-9366124
 
Steven Caulker has had his off the field problems and there was a recent interview he gave where Mr. Caulker discussed those issues -

http://www.itv.com/news/london/2018...or-former-england-players-gambling-addiction/

Interestingly, it wasn't too long ago that his former club rejected a bid from Norwegian side Rosenberg for him -

www.skysports.com/amp/football/news/11095/11315526/dundee-reject-steven-caulker-bid-from-norwegian-side-rosenborg

Here's his Transfermarkt page, a fairly good source of facts and figures (I've linked to the 17/18 season stats), they value him at around £550,000 -

https://www.transfermarkt.com/steve...17&verein=&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=&trainer_id=

He missed a fair chunk of Championship matches and that could be a bit of a worry, but I think Paul Cook would be the man who could help him along, with his enthusiasm and determination to ensure the players are in no doubt as to what he wants and how much of a positive person he seems to be. Wasn't too long ago he was getting into the England squad and being talked about.
 
To add to the article posted above i found this in depth interview with the man himself about his mental heath issues that he knows have derailed his career.

Interesting read, but it does sound like a lot of his drinking and gambling problems were less addictions and more coping mechanisms for undiagnosed and untreated clinical depression. But it sounds like he's finally getting the treatment he needs. I've not heard that he has had any big setbacks since so i think it's probably a great chance for him and us to have a look at each other and see if we think we are a good fit. I am actually quite excited about this, I feel we are the right type of club with the right type of manager to get the lad back on track and if we can then we'll have got ourselves a top player. With anyone with this type of mental health problem there will be future risks but if he managed to have the career he had without any treatment it suggests he should be capable of getting his career back on track now he is.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp....ntal-illness-addictions-gambling-drinking-qpr
 
Last edited:
To add to the article posted above i found this in depth interview with the man himself about his mental heath issues that he knows have derailed his career.

Interesting read, but it does sound like a lot of his drinking and gambling problems were less addictions and more coping mechanisms for undiagnosed and untreated clinical depression. But it sounds like he's finally getting the treatment he needs. I've not heard that he has had any big setbacks since so i think it's probably a great chance for him and us to have a look at each other and see if we think we are a good fit. I am actually quite excited about this, I feel we are the right type of club with the right type of manager to get the lad back on track and if we can then we'll have got ourselves a top player. With anyone with this type of mental health problem there will be future risks but if he managed to have the career he had without any treatment it suggests he should be capable of getting his career back on track now he is.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp....ntal-illness-addictions-gambling-drinking-qpr
Unfortunately it sounds as though he has a compulsive personality and in some people this manifests itself in addiction. I know people who have suffered from multiple addictions and Caulker is one of those. I have every sympathy for him. Being a compulsive gambler, an alcoholic or a drug addict is a mental illness and until you are truly ready to admit you are powerless over that addiction you will never reach that road of recovery. It sounds like Caulker is at that stage and has reached his rock bottom. If he is regularly attending his ‘Anonymous’ meetings he is in the best place. I wish him well in his recovery.
 
do we realy need this sort of player

When you say 'his sort', it depends on if you believe someone with a mental illness can ever get better. Some people can, some can't - it's a case by case basis. There are some high profile car crash footballers careers but it's not fair to judge him against them as everyone is different.

Caulker was unaware he had a genuine chemical imbalance in his brain causing him to feel, react and behave in a very different way than a healthy individual. When you think about the nature of being a young Premiership footballer - huge amounts of money, temptation, pressure and public scrutiny combined with the general highs and lows of football it can be very tough for any young lad without depression, so for someone with Caulkers condition entering the game it's easy to see how he struggled so badly.

But now he's taking medication to give his brain chemistry the correct balance, plus he will have been through various councilling and be given much healthier psychological coping tools, not to mention the various rehabs for his subsequent addictions. Overall he will be in a much better place and prepared to cope moving forward.

Caulker spent the best part of a decade in the game trying to get by without having any real understanding of his condition, any medication, or proffesional help - yet he still managed to have a number of good years in the Prem, get a couple of large transfers and get capped for England. If he did that while being in a perpetual state of self loathing, battling depression and anxiety; imagine what he could do if he is now happy and healthy? Caulker himself said he felt he was only playing at about 40% of his capacity due to his problems and he is hungary to come back now with a clear head and rebuild his career.

Like anyone battling mental health issues they will probably never be 'cured' and there is always a chance of relapse. But there is also the chance that Caulker has finally got the support he needs and he is finally in a position where he can successfully manage his condition. Cook has got him in for a look, just like he did with Gibson and if we believe Caulkers headspace is right he is a top player, highly motivated and free.

For me if we believe Caulker has genuinely got his life back on track it's a no brainer to give him a chane. No doubt if we decided after his trail he is worth a deal it would probably be a modest wage and contain clauses in case he did go off the rails again we had a option to terminate. I suspect any intial contract may also be short term with the option to be extended assuming all goes right. I think there's huge upside to this if it goes right and we can probably agree a deal that minimises our risk to very little if it goes wrong. We seem to be a good club at rehabilitating players who've lost their way. Nick Powell was damaged goods when we brought him back, and it took a little time and patients (plus finally getting a good manager in) but he's repaying our faith in spades. Caulker has the potential to do the same if we can get it right.
 
When you say 'his sort', it depends on if you believe someone with a mental illness can ever get better. Some people can, some can't - it's a case by case basis. There are some high profile car crash footballers careers but it's not fair to judge him against them as everyone is different.

Caulker was unaware he had a genuine chemical imbalance in his brain causing him to feel, react and behave in a very different way than a healthy individual. When you think about the nature of being a young Premiership footballer - huge amounts of money, temptation, pressure and public scrutiny combined with the general highs and lows of football it can be very tough for any young lad without depression, so for someone with Caulkers condition entering the game it's easy to see how he struggled so badly.

But now he's taking medication to give his brain chemistry the correct balance, plus he will have been through various councilling and be given much healthier psychological coping tools, not to mention the various rehabs for his subsequent addictions. Overall he will be in a much better place and prepared to cope moving forward.

Caulker spent the best part of a decade in the game trying to get by without having any real understanding of his condition, any medication, or proffesional help - yet he still managed to have a number of good years in the Prem, get a couple of large transfers and get capped for England. If he did that while being in a perpetual state of self loathing, battling depression and anxiety; imagine what he could do if he is now happy and healthy? Caulker himself said he felt he was only playing at about 40% of his capacity due to his problems and he is hungary to come back now with a clear head and rebuild his career.

Like anyone battling mental health issues they will probably never be 'cured' and there is always a chance of relapse. But there is also the chance that Caulker has finally got the support he needs and he is finally in a position where he can successfully manage his condition. Cook has got him in for a look, just like he did with Gibson and if we believe Caulkers headspace is right he is a top player, highly motivated and free.

For me if we believe Caulker has genuinely got his life back on track it's a no brainer to give him a chane. No doubt if we decided after his trail he is worth a deal it would probably be a modest wage and contain clauses in case he did go off the rails again we had a option to terminate. I suspect any intial contract may also be short term with the option to be extended assuming all goes right. I think there's huge upside to this if it goes right and we can probably agree a deal that minimises our risk to very little if it goes wrong. We seem to be a good club at rehabilitating players who've lost their way. Nick Powell was damaged goods when we brought him back, and it took a little time and patients (plus finally getting a good manager in) but he's repaying our faith in spades. Caulker has the potential to do the same if we can get it right.


Fantastic post king_dezeeuw06 ..
 
Some bloke the lodgers signed was banned for having Cocaine in his system on the eve of the eggy play off thing. Now he has just been charged with drink driving. He hasnt even clod a peanut for them yet.