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    Steven Caulker Interview

    Steven Caulker: ‘I’ve sat here for years hating myself … This year was almost the end’

    https://www.theguardian.com/football...y_to_clipboard

    #2
    I read that earlier today. It's powerful, eye-opening stuff that mitigates some of the cliches around top level footballers.

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      #3
      QPR and his ex agent are horrible negligent bastards trying to shift him to Moscow. Easy to imagine him not coming back had he gone out on his own.

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        #4
        On a related note:
        http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40446713

        I have to say I think the fact that more footballers are willing to talk about this stuff publicly is huge.

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          #5
          Yeah. Things like this are important. Mental health issues (and indeed mocking and shunning of the physically disabled too) stigma seems to have got worse in recent years, while most of the old prejudices are publically not tolerated. Im sure if I have to sign off with depression at my job, that would be the end of any chance of future promotion, quietly get eased out. Whispers in corridors. I wonder if any HR unit anywhere isn't full of gossiping snide fucks.

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            #6
            Originally posted by Lang Spoon View Post
            QPR and his ex agent are horrible negligent bastards trying to shift him to Moscow. Easy to imagine him not coming back had he gone out on his own.
            Holloway does come out of it well and still appears to want to help.

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              #7
              Yep, meant "The Club", as in decision making money men really. Holloway does seem a wank in general but not the sort of bad bastard with no decency left, that would enjoy stuffing players, taking a cut of their wages if they want playing time, send someone out in loan in a shipping container to the back of beyond if it meant a problem was gone.
              Last edited by Lang Spoon; 29-06-2017, 20:20.

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                #8
                The Craig King story (BBC link up thread) has been at the forefront of my mind tonight, as someone who has grown up around and dealt with depression my whole life I have a huge amount of respect for his decision and the way he has handled it. At the age of 20 I was so far away from even admitting to myself that I had a problem, let alone making public declarations knowing that it would highlight the problem on a national scale. It is important that people within football pay attention to low profile players whom have problems such as King (just a handful of Trophy appearances and half a season sitting on the bench) in the same manner they do higher profile players such as Caulker and Lennon. I think it is obvious the potential of the problem amongst young players who are struggling to find their way in an industry that chews them up and spits them out with alarming and apathetic regularity and whilst I recognise there is a lot of good work done beneath the surface I sure there is far more the game's authorities and clubs as employees could do to help not just individuals but the stigma of mental illnesses in society and the workplace as touched upon above.

                There was a point last season where Luton had on-loan keeper Christian Walton recalled on deadline day, just hours before a home game against Cheltenham. King, having been on the bench all season was assumed to be playing but at the last possible moment Luton signed a keeper on emergency loan and threw him into the first team pretty much straight out of his car only to see him concede three goals to the most out of form team in the league at that time. The next day a second emergency loan was made and in 24 hours King had gone from 1st to 3rd choice with little explanation.

                If, as it appears, the club effectively jeopardised their promotion campaign to protect one of their employees then I also have a huge amount of admiration for the club, the management and the medical staff for not putting a vulnerable young man in the position of destroying more than his career that night. I hope I'm wrong but I'm sure that many clubs in the same position would not have done things in the same way, let alone offer the player a new contract and the medical assistance he requires to beat his illness.

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