SIERRA LEONE INTERNATIONAL CAPTAIN SIGNS FOR WIGAN ATHLETIC

• Steven Caulker signs for Wigan Athletic!
• 31-year-old will link up with Kolo Touré’s side on a deal until the end of the 2022/23 Championship campaign 
• The central defender has vast experience in the Premier League with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Queens Park Rangers, Cardiff City and Liverpool 

Wigan Athletic is delighted to confirm the signing of Sierra Leone international captain Steven Caulker on a deal until the end of the 2022/23 season. 

Caulker, 31, will link up with Kolo Touré’s side until the end of the 2022/23 Championship campaign, adding a wealth of top-flight and international experience to the squad.

The central defender started his professional career at Tottenham Hotspur in 2009, before spending three seasons on loan with Yeovil Town, Bristol City, and Swansea City to gain senior experience. It was with the latter that Caulker would experience his first taste of top-flight football, with the central defender making 26 starts as Swansea finished 11th in 2011/12. 

The 31-year-old was rewarded with a call-up for England on the back of his impressive performances, scoring on his debut against Sweden in November 2012, the same year he represented Team GB at the London Olympics.

Following his international exploits, Caulker made 28 appearances in all competitions upon his return to White Hart Lane, before making a permanent switch to Cardiff City in July 2013. He was an ever-present for the Bluebirds in the Premier League, playing every minute of the campaign, scoring on five occasions. 

A move to Queens Park Rangers would follow in July 2014, and Caulker made 36 league appearances in his debut season for the Rs before departing on loan to Southampton for the first half of the 2015/16 campaign. He would spend the remainder of that season on loan with Liverpool, where he worked under Jürgen Klopp at Anfield and was a teammate of current Latics manager Touré. 

After departing QPR in December 2017, Caulker had a brief spell north of the border with Dundee, before moving overseas to Turkish Süper Lig side Alanyaspor at the start of 2019. He was a huge success during his time at the Kırbıyık Holding Stadium, with his form earning him a move to Fenerbahçe in June 2021. 

He would spend his lone season there on loan with Gaziantep, before moving to fellow Turkish top-flight side Fatih Karagümrük last summer. After returning to England earlier this month, Caulker joins Latics after putting pen to paper on a short-term deal at the DW Stadium. 

Captain of the Sierra Leone national team after switching allegiances in October 2021, Caulker has played over 300 senior games in his career to date and adds further strength to the Latics’ defense ahead of the remainder of the 2022/23 Championship campaign.

The defender will wear the number 29 shirt during his time at the DW Stadium.