Caulker can be ‘an England star’ says Malky Mackay

Former Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay has backed Steven Caulker to become first choice centre-back for England.

Cardiff defender Steven Caulker is a target for QPR and Crystal Palace.

Caulker is being linked with QPR and Crystal Palace following the Welsh side’s drop into the Sky Bet Championship this summer. The defender was brought to the club by Mackay last summer in a £8 million deal from Tottenham Hotspur.

Mackay told the Express: “Having worked with him for the last few weeks, I honestly think there’s the potential there to be an England star of the next 10 years as a centre back for his country.”

At just 22 years old, Caulker has already racked up almost 80 Premier League starts and has been in a number of recent England squads. It seems unlikely that the highly-rated defender will be playing in the Championship next season.