Ex-Defender Uncertain of Sobriety in Liverpool Debut

Former Liverpool loanee Steven Caulker has admitted that he wasn’t sure if he was “even sober” when making his debut for the club in 2016. Caulker, who has been open about his struggles with addiction to drink and gambling, spoke about his time at Anfield on the Under the Cosh podcast. He revealed that he had signed for the Reds just days after a night of heavy drinking and only a day before his debut against Arsenal. Caulker said he was “sh***** himself” and “panicking” as he made the train journey up to Anfield, unsure of how he would perform. Fortunately, Jurgen Klopp put faith in him and he came on as a substitute and scored the equaliser. After his first minutes as a forward against the Gunners, Caulker would make only three more appearances, totalling 92 minutes. He knew it was a “chance of a lifetime” and so changed his off-field habits for two months, but felt he was “written off” by Klopp after moving to the under-23s. He then returned to drinking and gambling, leading to his second stint in rehab. Caulker did not play for two years after leaving Liverpool and is now back in England with Wigan.