Ex-Bristol City, Liverpool and Spurs man available on free after Championship release

Former Bristol City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur defender Steven Caulker is one of six players that are leaving Wigan Athletic this summer.

The Lactics published their retained list, and Caulker who has documented the pay struggles at the cub, is leaving after five months at the DW Stadium. Caulker joined on a free transfer from Turkish club Fatih Karagumruk, and made nine appearances, for the side that finished bottom of the Championship.

Wigan's captain Tendayi Darikwa was let go despite playing 116 games for the club. Former Cardiff City and Aston Villa left-back Joe Bennett was let go, as well as Ryan Nyambe, Jordan Cousins and Gwion Edwards.

Posting on his personal LinkedIn last week, Caulker said: 'I might buy a football club next week.

“Put my sponsorship all around the stadium, sign loads of players, promise the fans I am committed, and then when it comes to pay day, just pay 5 or 6 players who I think are an asset to the club.

‘Could you imagine? Again, my thoughts are with the good people of Wigan. ‘You deserve better. It’s a very sad state of affairs.’

Caulker - who had a loan spell at Ashton Gate in the 2010/11 season - was an unused substitute for Wigan in his return to the West Country. He revealed recently in an interview with Under the Cosh that he had been rejected by more than 70 clubs, and that he had been in talks with Lee Johnson who he had played alongside about a possible return - but a move failed to materialise.

Appearing on the Football Untold Podcast, he said: "Following on from my time at QPR I was then out of football for the best part of a year, Dundee was my only option, following on from that 70 odd teams had told me 'No'".