FORMER England defender Steven Caulker switched allegiance to Sierra Leone and can line-up for them on the Africa Cup of Nations.
And the 30-year-old has revealed he might be enjoying for the kids he constructed a faculty for if he options in Tuesday's opener in opposition to Algeria.
When enjoying for Cardiff Metropolis between 2013 and 2014, Caulker raised £25,000 promoting signed shirts - together with from Gareth Bale.
And after topping the fund up together with his personal money, he constructed a six-classroom college - alongside charity Motion Assist - with its personal nicely within the Kambia district.
Caulker recalled a visit he made in an interview with the Mail and admitted recollections of the children he helped get him choked up.
He mentioned: "I am not somebody who cries however that all the time will get to me.
"She sang a tune for me and at any time when I watch that video it offers me the identical feeling, it is overwhelming.
"Simply because it was once I was there, taking selfies with kids who'd by no means seen their very own reflections as a result of there are not any mirrors or cameras, it is such a distant village. You could possibly see pure pleasure and pleasure of their faces.
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"I had a really small style of that with England, however once I stroll out to characterize Sierra Leone I might be pondering of all that.
"They all the time greet me with such love, it is all the time so emotional. These are the individuals I will be pondering of and these are the individuals I am enjoying for once I line up.
"And all of the individuals ready exterior the lodge earlier than we left for Cameroon, operating after our bus as we went off to play within the Africa Cup of Nations for the primary time in 25 years. It is a lot larger than soccer."
It was confirmed final month Caulker had switched allegiance by means of his paternal grandfather William who hails from Manor-by-the-Sea within the West African nation.
William moved to London within the Fifties and married Caulker's Scottish gran Jessie.
Caulker featured for Group GB's Olympic aspect at London 2012 and likewise made his England debut aged 20 beneath Roy Hodgson in opposition to Sweden away within the November that yr.
He scored after which noticed Danny Welbeck make it 2-1 to the Three Lions earlier than he was taken off to look at Zlatan Ibrahimovic rating his second, third and fourth targets - together with his well-known phenomenal overhead kick.
'THE ZLATAN SHOW'
Sweden gained 4-2 and Caulker admits his personal contribution was overshadowed by 'the Zlatan present'.
However the former Tottenham and QPR star is now wanting ahead to creating extra recollections with Sierra Leone.
He added: "It was a particular second for me to put on the England shirt and make my debut concurrently Raheem Sterling, to play with Steven Gerrard, but it surely's a very long time in the past and I've drifted away from England.
"I used to be upset to overlook out on World Cup choice in 2014.
"They despatched a textual content to say Roy Hodgson would name everybody whether or not we have been in or not. He by no means referred to as.
"I sat by the telephone all night. That was fairly disheartening and to be trustworthy fairly impolite.
"I would been across the squad for the most effective a part of two years and it left a little bit of a bitter style."
That was Caulker's last England involvement.
After a battle with alcohol and playing points Caulker moved to Turkish aspect Alanyaspor in 2019.
And his very good kind earned himself an enormous transfer to Fenerbahce in the summertime however a change in supervisor the day earlier than the brand new season noticed him left 'undesirable'.
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He then moved to Gaziantep on mortgage for the season however needs a Premier League return on the finish of the marketing campaign.
Caulker mentioned: "Coming away served a function and gave me a footing on the highway to sobriety.
"However I am greater than three years sober now and to be again house near my son, my household and pals, my help community can be sensible."
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