Even Caulker, who was on loan at Southampton from QPR, was surprised by the move. “It came as a bit of a shock as I’d had a bit of a frustrating time at Southampton and not had any game time,” he told the Liverpool Echo, explaining he couldn’t turn the move down. The defender joined in the 2016 January transfer window as cover, but played just four games with the deal being cut short when he entered rehab following a string of off field problems. In an interview with the Guardian in June 2017, Caulker revealed he has battled with depression for most of his career.
18 of the most surprising transfers and career decisions in football, including Paulinho at Barcelona
