By Ibrahim Karim Bangura (Tanko)

The veteran defender of Sierra Leone men’s national football squad and former team captain, Steven Caulker has recently released challenges and doubts he has faced throughout his professional career. Reflecting on his journey, Caulker offered a candid and emotional account of the highs and lows in the world of football.

Caulker started by emphasizing the harsh realities of the sport.

“Football is a tough industry,” he specified. “We can spend months waiting for an offer, and when it arrives, how can we be sure it is the right one?”

His experiences serve as a testimony to this struggle, revealing a series of pivotal moments that significantly impacted his career.

Few years ago, Caulker made the bold decision to turn down a Champions League club to join the Turkish giant Fenerbahçe. Driven by a desire to help the club win the league after seven years of near errors, his choice was ultimately influenced by ego and ambition.

However, just two days after signing, a new coach was appointed.

“I could tell from the very first handshake that I was not his man,” Caulker narrated. The coach quickly informed him that he was not in his plans, prompting Caulker to accept a loan move out of desperation.

This led him to live on the border of Syria, far from his family and friends, feeling completely isolated.

Subsequently in summer, Caulker was torn between two offers: a two-year deal with Karagümrük under Andrea Pirlo and a two-year contract with Blackburn Rovers in the Championship.

Fearful of making another wrong decision, he ultimately chose Blackburn.

Yet, as he was about to sign the deal, the club owner abruptly reduced the offer to a one-year contract due to “medical reasons.”

Feeling betrayed, Caulker walked out, later lamenting that he had made the wrong decision once again.

Caulker’s agent managed to revive the deal with Karagümrük, although for a significantly less money.

Despite returning to Turkey, Caulker’s heart was not in it, and Pirlo, unimpressed by his earlier decision to turn them down, did not give him a chance to play.

The contract was mutually terminated after just six months, leaving Caulker as a free agent.

Returning to the UK to be with his family, Caulker received offers from Wigan Athletic and Rotherham United, both struggling in the Championship.

Choosing Wigan, due to his connection with former teammate Kolo Toure, he faced displeasure once more as Toure was sacked just ten days later.

The new manager did not give him a playing time, and Wigan was relegated, while Rotherham stayed up.

However, Caulker spent the next six months out of football, fearful of making another wrong decision.

His eventual move to Spain was marred by visa issues, adding to his long list of misfortunes.

Shinning out on these experiences, Caulker concluded, “The moral of the story is that don’t let one bad decision affects your next one. I was too emotionally involved in every sad decisions made though soccer is my career for life.”