STEVEN CAULKER, who rejected a move from Brendan Rodgers to join Celtic in 2017, has found a new club in Turkey – after a two-month job search on social media.
The 32-year-old former Liverpool, Spurs and England centre-back had been out of football since leaving Spanish FIFTH division side Malaga City in May.
With no takers, Caulker advertised he was a free agent on the website LinkedIn and Turkish second tier outfit Ankara Keciorengucu made their move.
The length of the contract has not been revealed, but the club issued a statement on X which simply read: “Ankara Keciorengucu has reached an agreement with Steven Caulker.
THUMB’S UP…former Brendan Rodgers target Steven Caulker is all smiles after joining Turkish second tier club Ankara Keciorengucu.
“We welcome Steven to our club and wish him great success under our purple-white jersey.”
Rodgers made the defender an offer in July 2017 to take him to the champions, but Caulker, who had worked with the Irishman during a loan spell at Swansea City, knocked back the opportunity of a reunion to remain at Queens Park Rangers.
The Hoops gaffer had made his move, despite the knowledge the player had admitted to drinking and gambling addictions which had stalled his career in the English top flight after spells at the Merseyside giants and the White Hart Lane club.
The once highly-rated pivot admitted he regreted turning his back on Rodgers and, as reported in CQN at the time, said: “It came close.
“I had an opportunity to go to Celtic which I turned down. I was early in my recovery and I felt my support network was best in London.
“A few months after that, I was then out of the squad at QPR and we mutually terminated my contract.
“At that point, of course, I thought I should have gone to Celtic.”
Remarkably, Caulker did move to Scotland after leaving the Loftus Road club when he agreed an 18-month deal at Dundee in February 2018.
NOW YOU SEE ME…Steven Caulker in action during his brief spell at Dundee in 2018.
Six months after his arrival on Tayside, Caulker triggered a release clause in his contract and moved to Turkish side Alanyaspor. He also played in the country for Fenerbahce, Gaziantep and Fatih Karagumruk.
He last played in the UK for Wigan when they were in the Championship. The defender signed in January last year, but he was heading for the exit before the end of the season after the hard-up club had failed to pay their players on time on four occasions.
Caulker accused the owners of lying and “absolutely scandalous” behaviour.
He moved to Málaga City as player-manager on Christmas Eve 2023 and left five months later.
Now he’s back in Turkey as his trek through football continues to take unexpected turns.
Caulker only played once for England and scored in a 4-2 friendly defeat to Sweden in 2012.
He now represents Sierra Leone at international level and has played 30 times for his adopted nation. He was able to make the switch because his only appearance for the country of his birth had been a non-competitive match.
Amazingly, Caulker could have played for Scotland because his grandmother was born in Clackmannanshire
