{"id":141248,"date":"2023-09-13T20:15:58","date_gmt":"2023-09-13T20:15:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity-hub.com\/?p=141248"},"modified":"2023-09-13T20:15:58","modified_gmt":"2023-09-13T20:15:58","slug":"im-a-one-cap-england-star-who-found-myself-with-no-club-or-identity-at-26-now-i-want-to-help-others-in-the-same-boat-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity-hub.com\/sport\/im-a-one-cap-england-star-who-found-myself-with-no-club-or-identity-at-26-now-i-want-to-help-others-in-the-same-boat-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"I'm a one-cap England star who found myself with no club or identity at 26 – now I want to help others in the same boat | The Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"
FORMER England international Stephen Caulker has set up a training camp for ex-academy players in a bid to give them a second chance.<\/p>\n
The centre-back, 31, was left without a club five years ago despite four years at Tottenham and other Premier League stints with Swansea, Cardiff, QPR, Southampton and Liverpool.<\/p>\n
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He eventually found a career resurgence in Scotland and then Turkey, but he is also aware some players never receive that opportunity.<\/p>\n
Now a free agent once more after a brief stint with Wigan, Caulker has spoken about the residential training camp he has set up called "Behind the White Lines".<\/p>\n
And the defender, who played and scored in his only England appearance in a 4-2 defeat to Sweden in 2012, has revealed just how much it impacted him when he was struggling to find a team.<\/p>\n
Speaking to The Guardian, he said: "At 26, I found myself without a club.<\/p>\n
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"I didn\u2019t know where to go, who to turn to, who I was even. I had no identity. It took a long time for me to get my head around that."<\/p>\n
He went on to add: "But for those who are 18, 19, with nothing behind them, where do they go?"<\/p>\n
A couple of famous faces have been brought in to speak to the ex-academy pros including retired right-back Chris Ramsey and former Crystal Palace winger Yannick Bolasie.<\/p>\n
Part of the aim of the training camp is to give individuals a path back into the professional game.<\/p>\n
<\/picture>JOE BLOW <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/picture>ENTER THE DRAGON <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/picture>SCOTLAND 1 ENGLAND 3 <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/picture>SCOTLAND 1 ENGLAND 3 <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS AND BONUSES NEW CUSTOMERS<\/strong><\/p>\n However, Caulker insists it is "OK" if that does not happen as the main purpose is to help the "people" rather than the "footballer".<\/p>\n He said: "If just one of the lads takes something from the week it will be worth it."<\/p>\n Caulker, who has been honest about his struggles with gambling and substance abuse in the past, switched allegiances from England to Sierra Leone in 2021 and has already earned 13 caps.<\/p>\n He played in last year's Africa Cup of Nations as the country were eliminated in the group stage.<\/p>\n Earlier this year, Caulker opened up about the nightmare period he suffered in Turkey – particularly with Fenerbahce where he failed to play a single game.<\/p>\nAwkward moment Joe Cole is left shocked by Souness’ bold England call<\/h3>\n
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