Defender Steven Caulker rejected by 70 clubs after opening up about addiction problems
Our Football Untold series hears how stigma around mental health problems is still an issue in the game
Defender Steven Caulker has revealed he was rejected by more than 70 clubs after going public about his gambling and drink problems.
The 31 year old had spells with QPR, Cardiff and Southampton after starting his career at Tottenham, but after a stint in rehab following a loan move to Liverpool, he saw his opportunities dry up.
A subsequent return to QPR also failed to kick start his career.
He told our Football Untold Podcast: "Following on from my time at QPR I was then out of football for the best part of a year, Dundee was my only option, following on from that 70 odd teams had told me 'No'".
"They've used it against me"
His situation has left him sceptical about football's abilities to handle players who are displaying problem behaviour: "There's a lot of conversations about speaking to coaches, speaking to Player Care, speaking to psychologists within the club.
"For me, I never advise any young people to do that."
Steven says he urges young people who ask him for advice about their own issues to look for help and support outside the game.
Caulker said: "That may be insulting to a few people, and I apologise to those who are offended but it's my experience, it's my truth.
"In my experience those who I've told in football - they've used it against me."
Steven explores his addiction journey in full in episode four of the podcast, then returns for episode five as part of a panel discussion about stigma.
"That's utterly absurd"
Joining Steven is former PFA Chair Clarke Carlisle, who listened in disbelief to Steven's story of not being able to find a club, and suggested it masked a deeper issue within the game
"This is a guy with international caps, has played an incredible amount of games, he's got such quality, calibre and experience, but because he's voiced one period of adversity he's managing, he's untouchable to 72 clubs.
"That's utterly absurd.
"There are hundreds of players going through difficulties and they know Caulks, and they know the player he is and they're looking like 'he can't get a club, all because he's shared what he's going through - why am I going to do that? What's the likelihood football is going to look after me?' - so if that's the perception, no wonder guys are feeling the stigma and are not reaching out."
Download, watch and stream Football Untold
Football Untold is a new podcast series exploring the darker side of the beautiful game.
Series one is about players who've struggled with gambling addiction.
Some have spoken positively about the response they've received from people within the game once they've made it clear they have issues, while others believe players should have the choice to follow a care pathway that is appropriate to them.
In episode five, Steven Caulker questions where responsibility truly lies "How can clubs do better? I sound like I'm digging at the clubs, but do they have the time? Do the managers have the time to say 'I'll take time time out of my day to care for Steven Caulker?' because they're under pressure too, they can get sacked after 3-4 games."
Listen to the full podcast via www.footballuntold.co.uk which also includes links to support services