There was a sort of Liverpool reunion at Wigan when Kolo Toure made the player he briefly called a teammate his first contract as manager.
Toure has been in his first managerial position for more than a month, but it was a tough start for the 41-year-old, who has not won in six games so far.
After two draws and four defeats in the League and FA Cup, the former Celtic and Leicester assistant has set his sights on strengthening in January.
The first of these arrived on Monday evening when Steven Caulker joined Wigan on a short-term deal until the end of the season.
This is the 14th club in his adult career to have played in England, Scotland and most recently in Turkey, with six loans, including an unforgettable stay at Liverpool.
Toure and Caulker were teammates of Jurgen Klopp for a while, and the young central defender spent the second half of the 2015/16 season at Anfield.
They spent only 13 minutes together on the pitch, but the relationship began off the pitch during Caulker’s stay on Merseyside.
“After I decided to return from Turkey a couple of weeks ago, a waiter approached me,” the 31—year-old man explained in an interview with Latics TV.
“He’s a former teammate of mine many years ago, and he talked about the opportunity and the project he has here.
“He talked about the challenge we face and wanted me to be a part of it. For me, he’s a great guy and one of the best guys I’ve met in football.
“The manager played a key role in my coming here.
“I am an experienced player, I have 14-15 seasons under my belt, and the most important thing for me is mutual respect with the coach.
“Kolo showed that and I want to repay that belief with my performance on the pitch.”
