[Sport] 'The lies I told my family stick with me today'

[King_of_lion]

Like many addicts, Caulker says the biggest cost of gambling was not the money he spent, but the effect it had on his relationships.

It also affected his playing career. There were many times he was thinking about his losses during games, even his one and only England appearance, when he scored against Sweden in 2012.

"Whenever I was with my family or friends or playing Premier League football at the time, there was always that thought in the back of my mind, 'I need to get my money back'," he tells BBC Sport.

"The lies I told my family and friends still stick with me today. It was suffocating, and they were my worst moments looking back. But now I use it as fuel to motivate me to be a better person."

Caulker scored on his one and only England appearance but admits he was still thinking about his losses during games

'Gambling adverts everywhere don't help'

Caulker believes the game's relationship with gambling needs to change.

Three-quarters of Premier League teams have betting sponsors or partners, with that figure rising to 87% in the Championship.

Both the Premier League and the English Football League (EFL), sponsored by Sky Bet, say their clubs comply with regulations. The EFL added that its "mutually beneficial" relationship with the gambling industry was conducted in a "responsible manner".

The Betting and Gaming Council, which represents the industry, says "betting provides sport with the vital funding it needs" and has introduced a whistle-to-whistle ban.

It also says it "worked with the Gambling Commission to introduce a tough new code of conduct on the use of VIP schemes, which has seen the number of players enrolled in them reduced by 70%".

But a House of Lords select committee report this year said gambling advertising should be banned from sport within three years. The issue is likely to be debated more thoroughly, with the terms of reference for the UK Gambling Act review expected to be released by the government next week.

Caulker says: "Did football play a massive part in me starting to gamble? No. I started gambling before that, but I definitely think once I was in it, it very much normalises gambling, which is not OK.

"Having gambling adverts everywhere, including on your shirt and around the side of the pitch, doesn't help. I'm no expert in marketing but if these companies are pumping millions and millions into advertising, they're doing it for a reason."

So would he like to see changes in the way gambling is advertised in football?

"It's definitely a step in the right direction and if football did that, I think other sports will follow suit," he adds. "I think it'd be a massive stand."