The former Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Caulker, who made his competitive debut for the Leone Stars at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, has stepped down as captain as he thanked fans for their support.
Caulker, 32, who was appointed as skipper in March 2022, departed Sierra Leone ahead of the Zambia Matchday six tie following talks of controversy. However, the Sierra Leone Football Association said he was called home due to urgent personal matters that required his immediate attention.
He missed Sierra Leone’s 2-0 defeat in their final game against the Chipolopolo of Zambia of the 2025 AFCON Qualification campaign.
“The time has come for me to step down as captain of the Leone Stars,” Caulker noted to the medium. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to achieve my goal of qualifying us for AFCON, and it is with great sadness that I must accept this,” He explained. “I have given my all, three hard years battling against a very broken system. At times, we saw progress, but during this last campaign, it became evident that we have, in fact, taken five steps backwards.
I have donated my appearance fees from the 2024 AFCON campaign to ‘The Sick Pikin Baby Project’. I do not want to take money that we don’t deserve.
This is a fantastic charity doing amazing work and I know that several children will benefit from the donation. Sierra Leone has an enormous amount of talent, and it is vitally important that we get the right people in charge, people who know how to bring out the best in the players on the pitch.
Caulker is thankful for the opportunity
I would like to thank Coach John Keister and SLFA President Thomas Daddy Brima for giving me the opportunity in 2021. I also want to thank my fellow players and the dedicated staff members who gave their all along the way.
Last but not least, I want to thank the fans. Your support has meant so much to me, and I am incredibly proud to have represented my grandad’s homeland. You welcomed me from day one, and for that, I will be forever grateful. Greater days are coming, keep the faith.”
In October 2021, Caulker announced he was waiting for FIFA’s approval to switch from England to Sierra Leone. He played in a friendly match against a Moroccan team, which Sierra Leone lost 2–1.
On December 17, FIFA cleared him to play in the Africa Cup of Nations. He was in Sierra Leone’s squad and played all three matches, drawing with Algeria and Ivory Coast but losing to Equatorial Guinea, finishing third in their group with two points.
Caulker made one international appearance for England, his birth country, in a 4-2 loss to Sweden in November 2012, but he switched allegiances to Sierra Leone last year.
