Driving school
Spence’s Dens car pool with Caulker gives him a chance to lose ‘L’ plates
HAD it not been for mistakes made in life and his football career, Steven Caulker would not be playing for Dundee. Neither would the one-time England international require the chauffeur services of a young Fifer named Lewis Spence.
Spence, signed by Neil McCann from Dunfermline last summer, has been on a steep learning curve this season and the arrival of Caulker at the club not only further raised the bar in training, it has also initiated an unlikely car pool with a former Premier League star.
Caulker hasn’t driven a car since March of last year when he was handed an 18-month ban for refusing a breathalyser test, a moment that proved a watershed in his battle against issues with mental health and addiction.
Each morning Spence punctuates his daily commute from Fife with a pick-up at the Kinross home of Caulker’s aunt and uncle and, in between the standard chatter that qualifies as ‘banter’, there have been a few pearls of wisdom dispensed from the passenger seat.
‘We do our car journeys in the morning and he is a great lad,’ says Spence, 22, who joined Caulker in an impressive team performance that earned a point at Premiership champions Celtic in midweek.
‘He has been at the top level but he is not big-headed.
‘You think of someone who’s been in the Premier League coming to Dundee and you expect them to walk around in a certain way, but he just comes into training every day, works hard and does extra.
‘I just want to learn as much as I can from him, even in how he lives his life away from training. Obviously he has had problems in the past but he has been doing really well up here.’
Caulker is only 26 but boasts a CV detailing stints at Tottenham, Southampton and Liverpool alongside that single international appearance on which he scored in a friendly defeat against Sweden at the tender age of 20.
Watching him keep pace with Scott Sinclair and match Moussa Dembele for strength at Celtic Park even moved McCann to describe him as a player of ‘potential’ post-match.
Reports of a seven-figure bid from Norwegian champions Rosenborg had emerged in the hours before kick-off but, having signed an 18-month deal at Dens in January, it would seem Caulker is keen to restore some equilibrium to his career and his life after such an itinerant past.
Uncapped in a competitive environment, Caulker also remains eligible for consideration by Alex McLeish through his Scottish grandmother.
‘Only he could tell you this but I think being here has allowed him to get back to enjoying football again,’ added Spence. ‘From what I see and hear in the car, I think he likes it here and I’m happy for him.
‘He’s good banter in the car. I stay in Crosshill and he stays near Kinross, so I pick him up on the way in my wee Mercedes A Class. I only passed my test a year and a half ago and it’s nice to have some company on the road up.
‘I just want to learn a wee bit from him. Even the fact he has trained at the highest level, I just want to take wee bits and bobs from that.
‘The only advice Steven gives is to work hard. It’s about dedication. Ability shows but first you need to put in the hours in training.
‘I have always believed in my ability, that I can do it no problem, but you have to go out and prove it.’
A cycle of drinking and gambling had led Caulker to rock bottom at previous club QPR but the driving ban served as a line in the sand. Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers was linked with a move for a player he previously managed at Swansea but instead he opted to sign Jack Hendry from Dundee in January.
As unlikely as the deal seemed, the stars had aligned for Caulker to move to the Scottish Premiership and rebuild his career in relative tranquillity.
A calm but authorative figure at the back, his presence will be crucial as Dundee look to preserve their top-flight status over the closing straight.
‘To have somebody like Steven in our team when we are fighting for our lives is great,’ said Spence. ‘Jack was a big loss for us but he has come in and filled his boots brilliantly.
‘I’ve read about the bid and I’m glad we’ll keep him to the end of the season at least because we need him. ‘He is a great character in the dressing room and he is a great player to have at the back both in terms of organising us and his ability too. ‘Obviously results have not been great but on a personal level he has done great. ‘Everybody is learning from him but especially the defenders. Guys like Josh Meekings, Gensy Kusunga and Cammy Kerr will be taking in so much.’ For Spence, this season has been a qualified success. Having worked with McCann at Dunfermline, he knew what was expected but ankle surgery in November curtailed his involvement. His combative qualities restored to the Dundee midfield, he is digging in for the fight. ‘We shouldn’t be in this position but our lack of consistency has killed us,’ he added. ‘We’ve proved that we can play against anybody. Twice now we’ve gone to Celtic Park and played well and it says a lot that we were disappointed with a point on Wednesday. ‘We are not out of it yet and know what it’s like after the split. These last five games will be a dogfight.’ Caulker is unlikely to be cowed. He has, after all, fought far tougher battles.