Former Wigan, Liverpool, and Tottenham defender announces retirement

Former Wigan Athletic and England defender Steven Caulker has retired from professional football at 33. Caulker, who represented Team GB at the 2012 London Olympics, joined Wigan on a short-term deal in January 2023, leaving after their relegation to League One that summer.

Announcing his retirement on LinkedIn, he reflected on a 17-season career across 17 clubs in five countries. “I’ve played in the Premier League, scored for England, captained Sierra Leone, competed in the Olympics, worked as a player-coach, and met incredible people,” he said. “There were highs and lows, and I’m grateful for the lessons they brought.

Thank you to everyone who supported me—family, friends, coaches, and fans. I now look forward to focusing on coaching and guiding the next generation.”
Caulker began his career at Spurs, with loan spells at Yeovil Town, Bristol City, and Swansea City, before moving to Cardiff City in 2013 for £8 million. Despite playing every minute of the 2013/14 season, Cardiff were relegated, leading him to join Queens Park Rangers.

After loans at Southampton and Liverpool, he signed permanently for Dundee in 2018, then had stints in Turkey with Alanyaspor, Fenerbahce, Gaziantep, and Fatih Karagumruk, before returning to Wigan.
His time at Wigan was challenging, with repeated late payments from former owners Phoenix 2021 Limited. Caulker criticized the club, saying: “It’s scandalous how players were repeatedly misled.

I stand with the hardworking staff and players whose mental health has been affected.”
After leaving Wigan, he had brief spells at Malaga City (Spain), Ankara Keciorengucu (Turkey), and Stjarnan (Iceland). Internationally, Caulker scored in his only England appearance in 2012 before representing Sierra Leone, earning 18 caps.