Defender Steven Caulker reveals gambling addiction left him with suicidal thoughts

Former Spurs, Liverpool and QPR defender Steven Caulker says he takes one day at a time when it comes to battling his addictions.

The Sierra Leone international, who has also played for both England and Great Britain, is the latest player to open up about his problem gambling, as part of our Football Untold podcast series.

In this week's episode, the 31 year old opens up about how his addiction, and impulsive behaviour has impacted his career.

Opening up about problem gambling

"As a gambler," Steven says, "my head was all over the place and I was so impulsive in everything I'd done."

Caulker describes how he would go into bookmakers wearing a hoodie over his school uniform to bet from an early age, and that his gambling continued when he turned professional at Tottenham Hotspur.

Spells away from home, on loan at Yeovil and Bristol City only compounded his addictions.

Speaking to host Mick Coyle, he said: "Going on loan, at 17, to Yeovil definitely didn't help my gambling, I'd say.

"But when I was able to go to casinos at 18, I was living in Bristol (on loan at Bristol City) with two casinos on my doorstep. I was in there 5, 6 probably 7 days a week if I'm being honest and that's when I thought 'I've got an issue here'"

Leaving Spurs was a big decision

A bright start to his Spurs career was derailed when he forced through a move away from the club - something he now looks back on with a very different mindset.

"I was offered a new deal (at Spurs). As a 20 year old I played 28 games that year, played for England, basically everything, but I felt like I had nothing.

"I wanted to play 48 games, not 28 games, I wanted to play in every Europa League game, and every Premier League game and I couldn't understand why the manager was being so unfair to me, why he didn't respect me.

"He did respect me, he was giving me a fair chance, I just couldn't see it.

"Because of how impulsive I am I didn't want to sit there and wait, so I turned down that deal and opted to push for a move to go to Cardiff thinking everything would be great, I'd earn more money that will help cover the money I'd lost.

"But the problems came with me."

Trips abroad to place bets

Caulker discusses his darkest moments of addiction, and how alcohol was also a factor that he was dealing with.

He also describes trips to casinos in the Turkish controlled areas of Cyprus, where he would go for a number of days to gamble.

It regularly ended badly.

"When that bubble bursts and your money's gone its the worst place I could ever imagine.

"I was suicidal on more than one occasion there, that place is frightening because you're trapped, you've lost all your money and you're stuck."

Caulker also discusses how a shock move to Liverpool put his career back in the national spotlight, but ended with a spell in rehab.

Steven's career post-gambling saw him play abroad, and start a new international career with Sierra Leone - somewhere he's also embarked on a schools building project.

In the 2022-23 he returned to the UK to play in the Championship for Wigan Athletic.

Get support for problem gambling

Steven's sharing his story with Football Untold to encourage other people who are struggling with problem gambling to reach out for support.

There are signposting services available in each podcast.

You can listen to Steven and the rest of the series on www.footballuntold.co.uk or where you get your podcasts.