On the surface, Wigan defender Steven Caulker has had what most would consider a successful football career, including playing for Great Britain at the Olympics, but gambling and alcohol addictions have dogged his every move.
Caulker’s career has seen him making 123 Premier League appearances and playing for the likes of Tottenham, Liverpool, and England, and now captaining Sierra Leone, a side he qualifies for through his paternal grandfather.
On paper, that would qualify as success, but he told ESPN that spells in rehab, starting in his teens, and his struggle to beat his addictions left him with many regrets, and he hopes to take those lessons into his future managerial career.
Caulker [31], who is at the beginning stages of attaining his coaching badges while still playing for Wigan, told ESPN: “I would love to be a manager and I think that the experiences that I’ve had hold me in good stead for that.
“Being able to take care of young players – or just players in general who may be struggling with confidence and all that – being able to spot that, put my arm around them, have a conversation with them; I think it’s going to be a big asset going into coaching.
“I look back on football – my playing career – with a lot of regrets, and I don’t want to have the same as a manager.”
