Former Premier League footballer Steven Caulker sparks mixed reactions with his post about ‘sad’ unemployment.
Former Premier League footballer Steven Caulker has sparked mixed reactions after sharing a LinkedIn post about being unemployed while looking for his next role.
The 34-year-old central defender started out in Tottenham Hotspur’s youth team and made his debut for Spurs in 2012. Since then, he’s played for 17 clubs across different countries.
In the Premier League, Caulker played for Spurs, Swansea City, Cardiff City, Southampton, and Liverpool. He also had a stint in Scotland with Dundee. Later, he spent several seasons in Turkey’s Super Lig with teams like Alanyaspor, Fenerbahce, Gaziantep, and Fatih Karagumruk, before winding down his playing career at clubs including Wigan Athletic.
After retiring as a player, Caulker took on roles as player-manager at FC Malaga City’s Academy and then played for Icelandic team Stjarnan. Earlier this year, he became the assistant manager of Turkish club Konyaspor but left the job last month.
Since then, Caulker has been searching for new opportunities. On LinkedIn, he shared an honest update about his job hunt. He admitted feeling “hurt” at not getting interviews for jobs he feels qualified for but also mentioned turning down roles that don’t fit his goals — calling this a “difficult” situation.
His post, with a picture of him after a morning run, said: “Being unemployed is stressful. I’ve been here before and know how tough it can be. It hurts to apply for jobs I’m qualified for and not get interviews, but I’m trying not to panic. Even Walt Disney faced hundreds of rejections. What’s hard is turning down jobs that don’t match my goals. Staying calm helps, and adding structure to my day makes a difference. Just finished my run and feeling good after releasing some endorphins.”
People reacted differently to his post. Some found it sad and wished they could help, like one commenter who said, “Sad to read this from Steven Caulker. If anyone can help, please reach out.” Others appreciated his positive mindset, saying, “He’s facing challenges but staying strong. Wishing him all the best.”
However, some didn’t agree with him turning down jobs. One said, “Not much sympathy if he’s choosing to say no to work.” Another commented, “Saying no to jobs because they don’t match his goals shows he’s in a privileged spot. Many people struggling don’t have that choice.”
All in all, Steven’s post opened up a real conversation about the ups and downs of looking for work, even for someone with his experience.