Ben Foster

At 41 years old, Ben Foster has this physical status:

Ben Anthony Foster (born 3 April 1983) is an English professional footballer who plays for Watford and the England national team. Foster began his career in 2001 with Stoke City, after being recruited from Racing Club Warwick.

However, he never made an appearance for Stoke, and he spent time on loan with Bristol City, Tiverton Town, Stafford Rangers, Kidderminster Harriers, and Wrexham.

He moved permanently to Manchester United in July 2005, but he had trouble breaking into the first team again, and he spent two seasons on loan to Watford from August 2005 to the end of the 2006–07 season.

Foster, who has appeared on just 23 times for Manchester United (although he also played in the League Cup-winning teams of 2009 and 2010,) moved to Birmingham City in May 2010.

Foster was also a member of Birmingham's 2011 League Cup team; he made a total of 43 appearances in the league.

Foster was loaned to West Bromwich Albion and moved there permanently in June 2012 following Birmingham's relegation to the Championship at the end of the season.

Foster returned to Watford in July 2018. Foster made his international debut for England against Spain in February 2007.

Despite resigning from international football in May 2011, he returned in February 2013 and was selected in England's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Personal life

Foster at North Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.

Foster lives with his wife and two children in a house he helped build on a 30-acre farm in Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire. He is an avid cyclist.

Foster was fined £2,250 and barred from driving for six months after being caught driving at 99 miles per hour on the M40 in March 2022, an offence he committed in April 2021.

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Club career

Foster was born in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. He began his football career as a youth at Racing Club Warwick in the Southern League Division One West's Southern League Division One West. He joined Café Rouge in Leamington Spa in December 2000 and was already training as an apprentice chef.

After being spotted by scout Colin Dobson in April 2001, Foster joined Stoke City in the Second Division. He signed a one-year deal with an option for a second two years; the "five-figure" fee was undisclosed; and RC Warwick will profit from the addition of a sell-on provision. Foster had loan spells at Bristol City, Tiverton Town, Stafford Rangers, Kidderminster Harriers, and Wrexham during his time at Stoke. Foster sustained a cruciate ligament injury while playing tennis with his brother in June 2003, which kept him sidelined for six months. Foster was given the number 14 shirt and his first call up to the Potters' first team for a First Division match against Wimbledon on January 17, 2004. During the remainder of the 2003–04 season, he remained on the bench for the 1–0 win and was an unreserved substitute on six occasions. During the 2004-05 season, Foster was drafted into the first team squad for four games.

Foster was spotted by Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson, who was watching his son, Darren, play in the 2005 Football League Trophy Final when he was on loan from Stoke. United had been struggling to replace former goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel for many years, and Ferguson decided to move for the young Foster, making a bid for £1 million for the player. Stoke agreed to a July 2005 transfer, which was completed on July 19th.

Foster was sent on a season-long loan to Watford on August 1, 2005, with the hopes of a second loan following the season. Aidy Boothroyd, the Watford manager, said Foster will be "the best goalkeeper in the country" after being promoted to "better than current Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar" and that Foster will be "the best goalkeeper in the world." Ferguson, Manchester United's manager, speculated that Foster will replace Van der Sar as the first-choice keeper at United and then replace Paul Robinson as "England's next goalkeeper." Foster helped Watford reach the Premier League by defeating Leeds United 31-0 in the Championship play-off final.

On October 10, 2006, he re-signed for Watford on a second season-long loan after Manchester United secured the services of Poland international goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak on loan from West Bromwich Albion. Foster earned him the Club's Player of the Season award for his efforts during Watford's Premier League tenure. On several occasions during the 2006-07 season, Aidy Boothroyd expressed his desire to keep Foster at Watford for a third season, but his plans were shattered in January 2007, when Alex Ferguson announced his intention to bring Foster back to Old Trafford at the end of the season.

Foster was scheduled to have surgery for a cruciate ligament injury in his right knee in June 2007, causing him to miss the 2007–08 season. He returned to light training at the end of 2007, setting a target for his return in February 2008. On 6 March 2008, he made a comeback in a reserve match against Middlesbrough before making his Manchester United first team debut on March 15. With Edwin van der Sardar injured and Tomasz Kuszczak suspended for a red card against Portsmouth in the FA Cup Sixth Round the previous Saturday, Alex Ferguson had to cancel plans to ship Foster out on loan once more, and the young goalkeeper was promoted to the No. 316. For the away match against Derby County, there is no one in a jersey. United defeated the match 1–0, with Foster making two crucial saves en route to keeping a clean sheet. Despite being impressed with Foster's results in the match against Derby, Ferguson did not start him against Bolton Wanderers in the upcoming match against Bolton Wanderers, opting for the returning Kuszczak.

Foster was then playing for the reserves against Blackburn Rovers on the following day after being selected as a replacement for Manchester United's opening match of the 2008–09 Champions League against Villarreal on September 17, 2008. He collapsed awkwardly and sustained a twisted ankle, putting him out of contention for six to eight weeks. Foster's recovery time was quicker than was expected and he returned to reserve team action on October 14, 2008, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 victory over Oldham Athletic Reserves. Foster made his first Champions League appearance, his second for the Manchester United first team, on Friday in a 1–1 away draw to Celtic.

Foster was originally selected in Manchester United's squad for the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup, but after suffering a broken finger in training the day before the squad was supposed to leave for Japan, Ben Amos was brought on. Alex Ferguson named Foster in goal for the 2009 League Cup Final at Wembley Stadium on March 1, 2009. Foster continued to keep a clean sheet in normal time before deciding against Tottenham's Jamie O'Hara in the resulting penalty shoot-out. United won by 4–1 after a David Bentley misses in the shootout and the 2009 League Cup title. Foster was awarded the Alan Hardaker Trophy for his man of the match effort after the match.

After the match, it was revealed that Foster had used an iPod to assist with his preparations in the penalty shootout, sparking talk about the use of technology in the match.

Foster was rewarded for his efforts by being named United's second-choice goalkeeper for the remainder of the season, with three more matches before Alex Ferguson decided to rest Edwin van der Sar ahead of crucial matches. However, he was attempting to play with a ruptured ligament in his right thumb, which prompted him to be ruled out of United's title match against Barcelona and England's 2010 World Cup qualifiers. Foster, who was looking for a new goalkeeper to replace the soon-to-retire Edwin van der Sar, has signed a new four-year deal with the club. Manchester United's Alex Ferguson said that "truly see him [Foster] as a replacement to Edwin van der Sar," a Manchester United fan.

Foster was given the opportunity to nail down the number one shirt in the 2009 FA Community Shield loss to Chelsea, where his errors resulted in two Chelsea goals and made no saves in the penalty shootout, despite Van der Sar's absence for the first two months of the 2009–10 season. Foster continued to play in the league, beginning with a victory over Birmingham City on the first day. Foster was chastised for making mistakes that resulted in opposition goals during victories over Arsenal and Manchester City. Foster's potential and potential were praised by boss Alex Ferguson, eight days later, but Foster was again chastised for a mistake that resulted in a 2–2 draw and left the England squad out of the team the next day with bruised ribs. Foster was given the all-clear by doctors and recalled to the England squad for the match against Belarus on October 14th, following Robert Green's red card in the match against Ukraine and subsequent suspension. Foster only played twice more for Manchester United in 2009, after a League Cup victory over Barnsley, and a Champions League tie against Beşiktaş, which were both guaranteed, with Manchester United's progress. Ben Amos, a former goalkeeper for Van der Sar's absence, was recalled from the first team in the absence of Tomasz Kuszczak, and he was occasionally substituted, and he was called to substitute him on the substitutes bench. Foster started his first match for three months against West Ham in February 2010, giving him a clean slate in a 3–0 victory.

Foster signed a three-year deal with Birmingham City in May 2010, and after accepting it in order to play regularly, he had to leave Manchester, whether on loan or permanently. The fee was not revealed, but media reports suggested an initial cost of £4 million, potentially increasing to £6 million with add-ons. Foster's fellow England international goalkeeper Joe Hart, who had returned to Manchester City after a fruitful 2009–10 season on loan at Birmingham, was on loan. Foster made his Birmingham debut on the 2010–11 season with a 2–2 draw away from Sunderland. Birmingham defeated Blackburn Rovers 2–1. He saved a penalty from Morten Gamst Pedersen on his home debut against Blackburn Rovers the following week.

Foster, who was blamed for an error in England's 2–1 loss to France, gave a man-of-the-match effort on his return to League duty on Friday as Birmingham defeated reigning champions Chelsea 1–0 on Friday. Despite Chelsea's 32 shots at goal, Foster made a string of impressive saves, one of which was described as "staggering" to deny Didier Drogba's "fierce close-range downward header." He made a "horrendous mistake" in the televised League Cup semi-finals, allowing a soft shot from Carlton Cole to slip under him, giving West Ham United a 2–1 advantage. Birmingham has reached the final, and Foster's performance earned him the Alan Hardaker Trophy for the second time in three years, defeating Arsenal 2–1 for their first major trophy in 48 years. On the last day of the season, they were relegated to the Championship. Foster was named Birmingham's Player of the Season and Players' Player of the Season for 2010-2011, thanks to his "inspirational performances."

Foster signed a loan agreement with Albion goalkeeper Boaz Myhill on July 29, 2011, then moving with Albion goalkeeper Boaz Myhill for the entire 2011–12 season. Foster appeared in 37 of their 38 league games, but only skipped the last match of the season due to a minor groin strain. As the team finished in 10th place, their highest league finish in 30 years, he maintained ten league clean sheets, equaling West Brom's Premier League clean sheets record. Foster was named Fans' Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year at the end of the year.

Foster decided to join West Brom permanently for an undisclosed fee, which was widely estimated at £4 million. He has been a member of the club for three years with the option of a new two years. Foster continued to do well in his second season with the club, winning 7 clean sheets in 30 league games, and leading West Brom to their first-place finish in 2012. Saving a Steven Gerrard penalty against Liverpool at Anfield was a highlight of the season. At the time, the score was 0–0, and West Brom won 2–0. Despite missing four months of the following season due to injury, Foster went on to win both fan and player of the year awards for the second time in three years. Foster's enthralling form for the club saw him called up to the 2014 England World Cup squad, becoming the first West Bromwich Albion player to represent England in a world cup squad since Jeff Astle in 1970.

Foster was nominated for the Football Writer's Association Footballer of the Year award after an exciting 2016-2017 season. He was also the West Brom supporters' club player of the season.

Foster re-signed for Premier League Watford on July 5, 2018, with the option of an additional year for an undisclosed fee. After his transfer from the Premier League in 2020, He immediately upgraded Brazilian teammate Heurelho Gomes to the Watford number one shirt and remained Watford's first-choice goalkeeper. Foster agreed to a new two-year deal with Watford in June 2020. Foster announced on May 16th, 2022, that he would leave the club at the end of his deal.

Foster resigned from football at the age of 39 after turning down a contract with Newcastle United, according to his podcast on September 15, 2022. Despite Newcastle's appealing outlook, he said he not only wanted to stay with his family but also continued to produce content on his various social media pages.

International career

Foster was featured on the stand-by list for England's 2006 World Cup squad, owing to Robert Green's injury in a "B" international against Belarus on May 26, 2006. Foster was called up to Steve McClaren's first England squad as one of three goalkeepers for the friendly against Greece after he re-signed on loan for Watford. Foster has been drafted in every England squad, but prior to his injury, he made his England debut in the 1–0 loss to Spain on February 7, 2007.

After not playing for England for two years and never being called to the first team, Fabio Capello was finally selected by Fabio Capello following his success in the League Cup Final and earning his second cap as a second-half replacement in a 4–0 victory over Slovakia. Foster was left out of Capello's initial squad for their final two World Cup qualifiers due to inconsistent results in Manchester United's first fixtures of the 2009–10 season, as well as bruised ribs. However, Foster was recall in his position against Belarus after Robert Green was suspended in the match against Ukraine on October tenth. David James had been expected to take Green's place in the starting lineup, but the warm-up was interrupted, and Foster was given his third England cap instead. England beat England 3–0, with Foster saving Syarhey Amelyanchuk in the 63rd minute. Foster earned his fourth cap against Brazil, where he watched the whole match from a header in the 47th minute. Joe Hart was left out of England's 2010 World Cup squad, with Joe Hart taking his third goalkeeping slot.

Foster said in a 2020 interview that he found Capello to be a great deal to work with, not only as a boss but also as a person. Foster had been training with England for a friendly match when his pregnant wife went into labour. Foster refused to leave for his child's birth at first, but later agreed to allow it after Foster pleaded with him. Capello called Foster and begged him to return to the training camp right away, a promise to Foster that he will play in the second half of the upcoming match. Foster was not brought on to the second half and had no involvement in the game; Capello refused to acknowledge or explain Foster. Foster revealed in May 2011 that he would not be eligible for international selection for a long time. He planned to "prolong [his] club career for as long as possible" by giving his body "a proper rest period between games" to minimize "niggling" injuries. Capello was not until February 2013 - after Capello had been promoted by Roy Hodgson - that he made himself available for selection once more. He was called up to the England squad for the World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Montenegro during the next international break. In a friendly fixture against the Republic of Ireland on May 29, 2013, Foster represented England against the Republic of Ireland.

Foster was selected in the final 23 for England's 2014 World Cup squad and competed in the 2nd draw with Ecuador in preparation for the tournament. In the 0–0 draw in Belo Horizonte, with England struggling to advance to the last 16 people, he played the full 90 minutes of the last group match against Costa Rica and kept a clean sheet.

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