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The keeper only actually played 12 times for Manchester United over the course of five years as he faced stiff competition from the great Edwin van der Sar and was twice loaned out to Watford, where he made 73 appearances between 2005 and 2007 and earned his first England caps under Steve McClaren.<\/p>\n
One of his United games, however, was the 2009 League Cup Final, in which Ferguson\u2019s men beat Tottenham 4-1 on penalties, with Foster using data stored on an iPod to determine which way to dive for each taker \u2013 a lovely period detail.<\/p>\n
He was eventually sold to Birmingham City in 2010 and appeared to benefit from a period of greater stability, firmly establishing himself as a reliable pair of hands at the Blues and then during long spells with West Bromwich Albion and again at Watford before finally announcing his retirement in September 2022 at the grand old age of 39, able to look back on a fine career that saw him make 390 Premier League appearances and go to the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil with Roy Hodgson\u2019s England.<\/p>\n
But that was not to be the end of Ben Foster\u2019s story.<\/p>\n
Out of nowhere, he returned to the limelight by unexpectedly re-signing for McElhenney and Reynold\u2019s Wrexham in March 2023 as emergency cover for the side\u2019s usual No.1, Rob Lainton, out injured.<\/p>\n
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Foster kept a clean sheet on his debut, a 3-0 win over York, before, incredibly, saving a 96th minute penalty in a top of the table clash with Notts County to give Wrexham a 3-2 win over their nearest rivals and send them three points clear at the summit.<\/p>\n
Afterwards, Foster revealed the owners\u2019 overjoyed reaction: \u201cRob kissed me fully on the lips and Ryan called me a double handsome b*****d. I\u2019ll take that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI said to them \u2018Listen, you may as well end the documentary now. You\u2019ll never get a better moment than what\u2019s just happened\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wrexham went on to secure the National League title and win promotion with a 3-1 win over Boreham Wood, sending the revamped Racecourse Ground into raptures, as the show\u2019s latest season will recount.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt full-time I had to get my GoPro quick in my goal because somebody tried to nick it,\u201d Foster said of the pitch invasion by euphoric Welsh fans that followed the final whistle.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey rugby tackled me and I was on the floor thinking: \u2018This is bonkers\u2019. Then I was on shoulders. I was clinging on [to the camera] with dear life… You could see how much it meant to everybody, people were on the pitch within seconds.\u201d<\/p>\n
Foster signed a new one-year contract that summer and then, in August, played a part in another remarkable game, a 5-5 draw with Swindon, after which he abruptly announced his retirement (again), this time, presumably, for good.<\/p>\n
As refreshingly candid as ever, the keeper told Wrexham\u2019s fans: \u201cThe honest truth is that my performances this season haven\u2019t reached the level I demand of myself, and I feel that now is the right time to retire.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the forefront of my mind, when making this decision, was not only what was best for me but also the club, and making the decision now gives the club every opportunity to assess their options before the [transfer] window closes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWrexham will always have a special place in my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
Responding on social media, Reynolds paid tribute to the outgoing shot-stopper by tweeting: \u201cHe built memories I\u2019ll never let go of for as long as I live. I love this guy. Thank you for everything, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n
The two men had clearly become unlikely friends, as demonstrated by the Deadpool<\/em> actor storming into a press conference after the Boreham Wood win to claim Foster\u2019s sweaty shirt as a memento.<\/p>\n Manager Phil Parkinson also hailed Foster as a \u201ca model professional\u201d and said: \u201cIt takes a big person to make the decision he has and one who really understands this football club, with the timing of his decision. <\/p>\n \u201cI am sure I speak for everyone, when thanking him for his contribution that went far beyond that one magnificent penalty save against Notts County to help us gain promotion last season.<\/p>\n \u201cWrexham AFC was a better place for having Ben Foster around the club.\u201d <\/p>\nRecommended<\/h3>\n
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