Jump to content

Ben Foster (footballer)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 86.139.41.178 (talk) at 17:20, 27 November 2022. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Ben Foster
Foster playing for West Bromwich Albion in 2017
Personal information
Full name Ben Anthony Foster[1]
Date of birth (1983-04-03) 3 April 1983 (age 41)[2]
Place of birth Leamington Spa, England
Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)[3]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
0000–2000 Racing Club Warwick
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2001 Racing Club Warwick
2001–2005 Stoke City 0 (0)
2002 → Bristol City (loan) 0 (0)
2002–2003 → Tiverton Town (loan) 16 (0)
2004 → Stafford Rangers (loan) 1 (0)
2004 → Kidderminster Harriers (loan) 2 (0)
2005 → Wrexham (loan) 17 (0)
2005–2010 Manchester United 12 (0)
2005–2006 → Watford (loan) 44 (0)
2006–2007 → Watford (loan) 29 (0)
2010–2012 Birmingham City 38 (0)
2011–2012 → West Bromwich Albion (loan) 37 (0)
2012–2018 West Bromwich Albion 172 (0)
2018–2022 Watford 125 (0)
Total 493 (0)
International career
2007–2014 England 8 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ben Anthony Foster (born 3 April 1983) is an English former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He began his professional career in 2001 with Stoke City, having joined from Racing Club Warwick. However, he never made an appearance for Stoke, and spent time on loan with Bristol City, Tiverton Town, Stafford Rangers, Kidderminster Harriers and Wrexham. He switched permanently to Manchester United in July 2005, but again struggled to break into the first team, and spent two successive seasons on loan to Watford from August 2005 until the end of the 2006–07 season.

Having played just 23 times for Manchester United (although he also played in the League Cup-winning teams of 2009 and 2010), Foster switched to Birmingham City in May 2010. An ever-present in the league for Birmingham, he was also part of the Birmingham team that won the 2011 League Cup; he made a total of 43 appearances in that season. Following Birmingham's relegation to the Championship at the end of the season, he was loaned to West Bromwich Albion, and moved there permanently in June 2012. He returned to Watford in July 2018.[4] He announced his retirement from football in September 2022, after becoming a free agent that summer and turning down an opportunity to sign for Newcastle United.

Internationally, Foster made his international debut for England in February 2007 against Spain. Although he announced his retirement from international football in May 2011, he returned in February 2013, and was selected in England's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Club career

Stoke City

Foster was born in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.[2] He started his football career as a youngster at Racing Club Warwick of the Southern League Division One West. He became their first-choice goalkeeper in December 2000,[5] and was also training as an apprentice chef at Café Rouge in Leamington Spa.[6]

In April 2001 Foster turned professional with Second Division club Stoke City after being spotted by scout Colin Dobson. He signed a one-year contract with an option for a further two years; the "five-figure" fee was undisclosed, and RC Warwick would benefit from the inclusion of a sell-on clause.[7] During his time at Stoke, Foster had loan spells at Bristol City,[8] Tiverton Town,[9] Stafford Rangers, Kidderminster Harriers[10] and Wrexham.[11] Foster sustained a cruciate ligament injury in June 2003 while playing tennis with his brother,[12] which sidelined him for a period of six months.[13][14] After his recovery, Foster was awarded the number 14 shirt and received his maiden call up to the Potters' first team for a First Division match versus Wimbledon on 17 January 2004.[15][16] He remained on the bench for the 1–0 victory and was an unused substitute on a further six occasions during the remainder of the 2003–04 season.[16] Foster was called into the first team squad for four matches during the 2004–05 season.[17]

Manchester United

While playing for Wrexham on loan from Stoke, Foster was spotted by Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, who was watching his son, Darren, in the 2005 Football League Trophy Final. United had been struggling for several years to replace former goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, and Ferguson decided to move for the young Foster, making a bid of £1 million for the player.[18] Stoke agreed a deal with United on 15 July 2005,[19] and the transfer was completed on 19 July.[20]

Watford

Foster training with Watford in 2007

Not ready for first team action, Foster was sent on a season-long loan to Watford on 1 August 2005,[21] with the expectation of a second loan the season after.[22] Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd claimed that "he's better than current Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar" and claimed Foster would be "the best goalkeeper in the world".[23] Manchester United manager Ferguson suggested that Foster would succeed Van der Sar as first-choice keeper at United and eventually replace Paul Robinson as "England's next goalkeeper".[24] Foster helped Watford reach the Premier League by beating Leeds United 3–0 in the Championship play-off final.[25]

He re-signed for Watford on a second season-long loan on 10 August 2006 after Manchester United secured the services of Poland international goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak on loan from West Bromwich Albion.[26] Foster's performances during Watford's Premier League campaign earnt him the club's Player of the Season award.[27] Aidy Boothroyd expressed his desire to keep Foster at Watford for a third season on a number of occasions during the 2006–07 season, but his hopes were dashed in January 2007 when Alex Ferguson announced his intention to bring Foster back to Old Trafford at the end of the season.[28]

Return to Manchester United

In June 2007, it was announced that Foster would undergo surgery on a cruciate ligament injury in his right knee, forcing him to miss the start of the 2007–08 season.[29] He returned to light training towards the end of 2007, setting a February 2008 target for his return.[30] He made a comeback in a reserve match against Middlesbrough on 6 March 2008,[31] before making his debut for the Manchester United first team on 15 March 2008. With Edwin van der Sar injured and Tomasz Kuszczak suspended for a red card against Portsmouth in the FA Cup Sixth Round the previous Saturday, Alex Ferguson had to shelve plans to ship Foster out on loan again, and the young goalkeeper was promoted to the No. 1 jersey for the away match against Derby County. United won the match 1–0, with Foster making two crucial saves en route to keeping a clean sheet.[32] Although he was impressed with Foster's performance in the match against Derby,[33] Ferguson did not start him for the following match against Bolton Wanderers, opting for the returning Kuszczak.[34]

After being selected as a substitute for Manchester United's opening match of the 2008–09 Champions League against Villarreal on 17 September 2008,[35] Foster then played for the reserves against Blackburn Rovers the following day. During the match, he fell awkwardly and suffered a twisted ankle, putting him out of contention for six to eight weeks.[36] Fortunately for Foster, his recovery time was quicker than was first estimated and he returned to reserve team action on 14 October 2008, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 win over Oldham Athletic reserves.[37] Foster then made his first Champions League appearance – his second for the Manchester United first team – on 5 November 2008, in a 1–1 away draw to Celtic.[38]

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 due to depart for Japan, he was replaced by Ben Amos.[39] On 1 March 2009, Alex Ferguson named Foster in goal for the 2009 League Cup Final at Wembley Stadium. After keeping a clean sheet in normal time, Foster then made a save from Tottenham's Jamie O'Hara in the consequent penalty shoot-out. This, combined with a miss from David Bentley, gave United a 4–1 win in the shootout and the 2009 League Cup title.[40] After the match, Foster was given the Alan Hardaker Trophy for his man of the match performance.[41]

It was revealed after the match that Foster had used an iPod to help with his preparations in the penalty shootout, prompting discussion about the use of technology in the match.[42]

Foster was rewarded for his performance by being made United's second-choice goalkeeper for the remainder of the season, starting three more matches when Alex Ferguson chose to rest Edwin van der Sar ahead of important matches. However, he had been attempting to play with a ruptured ligament in his right thumb, which became aggravated, necessitating surgery which ruled him out of United's title run-in, the Champions League Final against Barcelona and England's 2010 World Cup qualifiers in June.[43] Following speculation that United were in the market for a new goalkeeper to replace the soon-to-retire Edwin van der Sar, Foster signed a new four-year contract with the club. Alex Ferguson commented that Manchester United "genuinely see him [Foster] as a successor to Edwin van der Sar".[44]

With Van der Sar injured for the first two months of the 2009–10 season, Foster was given the opportunity to nail down the number one shirt in the 2009 FA Community Shield defeat to Chelsea, where his mistakes led to two Chelsea goals and made no saves in the penalty shootout.[45] Foster continued to play in the League, starting with the opening day victory over Birmingham City.[46] In wins against Arsenal and Manchester City, Foster received heavy criticism for errors that led to opposition goals.[citation needed] Manager Alex Ferguson stated that he believes in Foster's abilities and potential;[47] however, eight days later, Foster was again criticised for a mistake which led to a Sunderland goal in a 2–2 draw,[48] and left out of the England squad the next day with bruised ribs.[49] However, following Robert Green's red card in the match against Ukraine and consequent suspension, Foster was given the all-clear by doctors and recalled to the England squad for the match against Belarus on 14 October.[50] Foster played only twice more in 2009 for Manchester United after the Sunderland match: a League Cup win against Championship team Barnsley, and a Champions League tie versus Beşiktaş, with Manchester United's progress from the group already secured.[51][52] He was displaced from the first team in Van der Sar's absence by Tomasz Kuszczak,[53] and on occasion, reserve goalkeeper Ben Amos took Foster's place on the substitutes bench.[54] Foster started his first match for three months against West Ham in February 2010, keeping a clean sheet in a 3–0 victory.[55]

Birmingham City

Foster playing for Birmingham City in 2010

After accepting that in order to play regularly he needed to leave Manchester, whether on loan or permanently,[56] Foster signed a three-year contract with Premier League club Birmingham City on 19 May 2010.[57] The fee was not disclosed, though media speculation suggested an initial fee of £4 million, potentially rising to £6 million with add-ons.[58] The club were seeking a replacement for Foster's fellow England international goalkeeper Joe Hart, who had returned to Manchester City after a successful 2009–10 season on loan at Birmingham.[59] Foster made his Birmingham debut on the opening day of the 2010–11 season in a 2–2 draw away to Sunderland.[60] On his home debut the following week against Blackburn Rovers, he saved a penalty from Morten Gamst Pedersen as Birmingham won the match 2–1.[61]

Criticised for an error in England's 2–1 defeat to France,[62] Foster produced a man-of-the-match performance on his return to League duty on 20 November as Birmingham beat reigning champions Chelsea 1–0. Though Chelsea had 32 shots at goal, Foster made a series of excellent saves,[63] including one described by BBC Sport as "staggering" to deny Didier Drogba's "fierce close-range downward header".[64] He made a "horrendous blunder" in the televised League Cup semi-final, allowing a soft shot from Carlton Cole to slip underneath him, which gave West Ham United a 2–1 lead after the first leg.[65] Birmingham still reached the final, and Foster's display earned him the Alan Hardaker Trophy for the second time in three years, as his team defeated Arsenal 2–1 to claim their first major trophy in 48 years.[66] They were relegated to the Championship on the final day of the season.[67] Because of his "series of inspirational performances", Foster was named Birmingham's Player of the Season and Players' Player of the Season for 2010–11.[68]

West Bromwich Albion

Foster at his presentation as a West Bromwich Albion player in 2011

Foster joined Premier League club West Bromwich Albion on 29 July 2011, changing places with Albion goalkeeper Boaz Myhill, both players signing a loan deal for the whole of the 2011–12 season.[69] Foster played in 37 of their 38 league matches, only missing the final match of the season with a minor groin strain. He kept 10 league clean sheets, equalling West Brom's Premier League clean sheets record, as the club finished in 10th place, their highest league finish in 30 years.[70] At the end of the season, Foster was given the supporters' player of the year and the players' player of the year awards.[71]

On 29 June 2012, Foster signed permanently with West Brom for an undisclosed fee,[71] widely reported to be £4 million.[72][73] He signed a three-year contract with an option for a further two years in the club's favour.[71] Foster continued to perform impressively in his second season with the club, keeping 7 clean sheets in 30 league matches,[74] and helping to guide West Brom to their record high Premier League position of 8th for the 2012–13 season.[75] A highlight of that season was saving a Steven Gerrard penalty against Liverpool at Anfield. The score was 0–0 at the time and West Brom went on to win 2–0.[76] Despite missing 4 months of the following season through injury, Foster went on to win both fans player, and player's player of the year awards for the second time in three years after a series of impressive performances throughout the 2013–14 season.[77] Foster's impressive 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.[78]

After an impressive 2016–17 season, Foster was nominated for the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award. He was also the West Brom supporters' club player of the season.[79]

Return to Watford

After West Brom's relegation to the Championship, Foster re-signed for Premier League club Watford on 5 July 2018 on a two-year contract, with the option of an additional year, for an undisclosed fee.[80] He immediately overtook Brazilian teammate Heurelho Gomes to the Watford number one shirt and remained Watford's first-choice goalkeeper after their relegation from the Premier League in 2020. Foster signed a further two year contract with Watford in June 2020.[81] On 16 May 2022, Foster revealed he would be leaving the club at the end of his contract in June.[4]

Retirement

On his podcast on 15 September 2022, Foster announced his retirement from football at the age of 39 after turning down a contract offer from Newcastle United.[82] He said that despite Newcastle’s attractive prospect, he not only wanted to stay with his family but also continue to produce content on his various social media platforms.

International career

On 26 May 2006, Foster was named on the stand-by list for England's 2006 World Cup squad, because of Robert Green's injury in a "B" international against Belarus.[83] After Foster re-signed on loan for Watford, he was called up to Steve McClaren's first England squad as one of three goalkeepers for the friendly against Greece.[84] Since his first call-up but prior to his injury, Foster was named in every England squad, and made his England debut in the 1–0 defeat against Spain on 7 February 2007.[85]

After not playing for England for two years and never being called to the first team, he was finally selected by Fabio Capello after his performance during the League Cup Final and earned his second cap as a second-half substitute in a 4–0 victory over Slovakia.[86] Inconsistent performances in Manchester United's first fixtures of the 2009–10 season, as well as bruised ribs, meant that Foster was left out of Capello's initial squad for their final two World Cup qualifiers. However, after Robert Green was sent off in the match against Ukraine on 10 October, Foster was recalled in his place for the following match against Belarus. It had been expected that David James would take Green's place in the starting line-up, but James was injured in the warm-up and Foster was given his third England cap instead. England won the match 3–0, with Foster making a one-handed save from Syarhey Amelyanchuk in the 63rd minute.[87] Foster won his fourth cap against Brazil, where he played the whole match in a 1–0 loss on 14 November 2009, the friendly match was played in Qatar, with forward Nilmar scoring the only goal of the match from a header in the 47th minute.[88] He was overlooked for England's 2010 World Cup squad, Joe Hart being preferred for the third goalkeeping spot.[89]

Foster stated in a 2020 interview that he found Capello difficult to work with, not only as a manager but also as a person. Foster had been training with England for a friendly match when his pregnant wife went into labour. Capello initially refused to allow Foster to leave for his child's birth, before reluctantly allowing it only after Foster pleaded with him. Three hours after his child's birth, Capello called Foster and urged him to return to the training camp immediately, promising Foster that he would play the second half of the upcoming match. Ultimately, Foster was not brought on in the second half and played no role in the match; Capello offered no acknowledgement or explanation to Foster.[90] Shortly after, in May 2011, Foster announced that he would be making himself unavailable for international selection for an indefinite period. He intended to "prolong [his] club career for as long as possible" by allowing his body "a proper rest period between games" to reduce "niggling" injuries.[91] It was not until February 2013 - after Capello had been succeeded by Roy Hodgson - that he made himself available for selection again.[92] In the next international break, he was called up to the England squad for World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Montenegro.[93] On 29 May 2013 Foster represented England in a friendly fixture against the Republic of Ireland.[94]

Foster was selected in the final 23 for England's 2014 World Cup squad,[95] and played in the 2–2 draw with Ecuador in preparation for the tournament. With England unable to advance to the last 16, he played the whole 90 minutes of the last group match against Costa Rica, and kept a clean sheet in the 0–0 draw in Belo Horizonte.[96]

YouTube channels

Ben Foster
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2020–present
Subscribers1,210,000[97]
(October 2022)
Total views101.6 million[97]
(October 2022)
Associated actsKing Ekong
100,000 subscribers2020
1,000,000 subscribers2021

Foster has a YouTube channel called "The Cycling GK" where he posts cycling videos and Watford matchday vlogs, including GoPro footage of the games in the back of his goal.[98][99] As of July 2022, the channel has amassed over 1.21 million subscribers and over 101 million views.[100] He also has a podcast called "Fozcast - The Ben Foster Podcast", with an option to watch on YouTube.

Personal life

Foster attended North Leamington School in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.[101]

Foster lives with his wife and two children in a house he helped design on a 30-acre farm in Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire.[6][102] He is an enthusiastic cyclist.[102][103]

In March 2022, Foster was fined £2,250 and banned from driving for six months after he was caught driving at 99mph on the M40, an offence he committed in April 2021.[104]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Stoke City 2001–02[105] Second Division 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 0 0
2002–03[106] First Division 0 0 — 0 0 — — 0 0
2003–04[107] First Division 0 0 0 0 0 0 — — 0 0
2004–05[108] Championship 0 0 0 0 0 0 — — 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 0 0
Bristol City (loan) 2002–03[106] Second Division 0 0 0 0 — — 0 0 0 0
Tiverton Town (loan) 2002–03[109] Southern League Premier Division 16 0 — — — — 16 0
Stafford Rangers (loan) 2003–04[110] Southern League Premier Division 1 0 — — — — 1 0
Kidderminster Harriers (loan) 2004–05[108] League Two 2 0 — — — — 2 0
Wrexham (loan) 2004–05[108] League One 17 0 — — — 4[a] 0 21 0
Manchester United 2007–08[111] Premier League 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
2008–09[112] Premier League 2 0 3 0 3 0 1[b] 0 0 0 9 0
2009–10[51] Premier League 9 0 0 0 1 0 2[b] 0 1[c] 0 13 0
Total 12 0 3 0 4 0 3 0 1 0 23 0
Watford (loan) 2005–06[113] Championship 44 0 1 0 0 0 — 3[d] 0 48 0
2006–07[114] Premier League 29 0 3 0 1 0 — — 33 0
Total 73 0 4 0 1 0 — 3 0 81 0
Birmingham City 2010–11[115] Premier League 38 0 1 0 4 0 — — 43 0
West Bromwich Albion (loan) 2011–12[116] Premier League 37 0 2 0 0 0 — — 39 0
West Bromwich Albion 2012–13[74] Premier League 30 0 0 0 1 0 — — 31 0
2013–14[117] Premier League 24 0 1 0 0 0 — — 25 0
2014–15[118] Premier League 28 0 2 0 0 0 — — 30 0
2015–16[119] Premier League 15 0 4 0 0 0 — — 19 0
2016–17[120] Premier League 38 0 0 0 0 0 — — 38 0
2017–18[121] Premier League 37 0 3 0 1 0 — — 41 0
Total 209 0 12 0 2 0 — — 223 0
Watford 2018–19[122] Premier League 38 0 0 0 0 0 — — 38 0
2019–20[123] Premier League 38 0 0 0 0 0 — — 38 0
2020–21[124] Championship 23 0 0 0 0 0 — — 23 0
2021–22[125] Premier League 26 0 0 0 1 0 — — 27 0
Total 125 0 0 0 1 0 — — 126 0
Career total 493 0 20 0 11 0 3 0 8 0 535 0
  1. ^ Appearances in Football League Trophy
  2. ^ a b Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League
  3. ^ Appearance in FA Community Shield
  4. ^ Appearances in Championship play-offs

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
England 2007 1 0
2009 3 0
2010 1 0
2013 1 0
2014 2 0
Total 8 0

Honours

Wrexham

Watford

Manchester United

Birmingham City

Individual

References

  1. ^ "FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2008 presented by Toyota: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. 5 December 2008. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 December 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  2. ^ a b Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2010). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2010–11. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing. p. 156. ISBN 978-1-84596-601-0.
  3. ^ "Player profiles: Ben Foster". Birmingham City F.C. Archived from the original on 29 December 2010.
  4. ^ a b "Ben Foster announces he will leave Watford at the end of the season". The Athletic. 16 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  5. ^ "Racing keeper Foster in talks with Stoke". Leamington Courier. 30 March 2001. Archived from the original on 15 September 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  6. ^ a b "Flavour of family life tops menu for Ben Foster". Express & Star. Wolverhampton. 17 August 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  7. ^ "Racing keeper Foster goes pro". Leamington Courier. 20 April 2001. Archived from the original on 15 September 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  8. ^ Pearson, James (12 November 2002). "Robins sign Foster on loan". Sky Sports. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  9. ^ Livie, Alex (20 December 2002). "Foster moves again". Sky Sports. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  10. ^ Fudge, Simon (29 October 2004). "Harriers land Potter". Sky Sports. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  11. ^ Fudge, Simon (24 February 2005). "Dragons land Potter". Sky Sports. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  12. ^ Lansley, Peter (28 February 2008). "Gloves are on as Ben Foster's battle against injury gathers speed". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  13. ^ Fudge, Simon (24 June 2003). "Foster out for six months". Sky Sports. Retrieved 6 June 2007.
  14. ^ Higham, Paul (10 July 2003). "Foster blow for Potters". Sky Sports. Retrieved 6 June 2007.
  15. ^ "All Stoke City football club players: 2004". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  16. ^ a b "Ben Foster 2003/2004". ESPN FC. Archived from the original on 27 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  17. ^ "Ben Foster 2004/2005". ESPN FC. Archived from the original on 27 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  18. ^ Bailey, Graeme (13 July 2005). "United eye Stoke starlet". Sky Sports. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  19. ^ Bailey, Graeme (15 July 2005). "United agree keeper deal". Sky Sports. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  20. ^ Bailey, Graeme (19 July 2005). "United finalise Foster move". Sky Sports. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  21. ^ Buckingham, Mark (1 August 2005). "Hornets land United keeper". Sky Sports. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  22. ^ Buckingham, Mark (29 August 2005). "Foster to stay out on loan". Sky Sports. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  23. ^ Adams, Tom (28 February 2007). "Aidy: Foster to come to the fore". Sky Sports. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  24. ^ Pearson, James (28 January 2007). "Fergie: Foster to edge out Robbo". Sky Sports. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  25. ^ a b "Leeds 0–3 Watford". BBC Sport. 21 May 2006. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  26. ^ Rutledge, Lewis (10 August 2006). "United clinch Kuszczak capture". Sky Sports. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  27. ^ a b "Foster Voted Player of the Season". Watford F.C. 8 May 2007. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011.
  28. ^ Stanton, Chris (29 January 2007). "Fergie confirms Foster return". Sky Sports. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  29. ^ "Knee surgery for Man Utd's Foster". BBC Sport. 6 June 2007. Archived from the original on 30 June 2007. Retrieved 6 June 2007.
  30. ^ Bartram, Steve (8 November 2007). "Foster eyes February return". Manchester United F.C. Archived from the original on 10 November 2007. Retrieved 8 November 2007.
  31. ^ Bartram, Steve (6 March 2008). "Foster set for Reds comeback". Manchester United F.C. Archived from the original on 2 February 2009. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  32. ^ Bartram, Steve (15 March 2008). "Report: Derby 0 United 1". Manchester United F.C. Archived from the original on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2008.
  33. ^ Bartram, Steve (17 March 2008). "Foster's bow impresses Boss". Manchester United F.C. Archived from the original on 1 February 2009. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  34. ^ Fletcher, Paul (19 March 2008). "Man Utd 2–0 Bolton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  35. ^ McNulty, Phil (17 September 2008). "Man Utd 0–0 Villarreal". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 22 September 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  36. ^ "Foster sidelined for United". Sky Sports. 19 September 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  37. ^ Hibbs, Ben (14 October 2008). "Foster given Reserves return". Manchester United F.C. Archived from the original on 18 October 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  38. ^ Murray, Keir (5 November 2008). "Celtic 1–1 Man Utd". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 8 November 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  39. ^ Bartram, Steve (14 December 2008). "Gamba book United date". Manchester United F.C. Archived from the original on 2 November 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
  40. ^ a b McNulty, Phil (1 March 2009). "Man Utd 0–0 Tottenham (aet)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  41. ^ a b c "Alan Hardaker Trophy Winners". The Football League. 24 February 2013. Archived from the original on 14 January 2014.
  42. ^ Collett, Mike (3 March 2009). "Foster in the clear after using iPod". Reuters. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
  43. ^ Hibbs, Ben (18 May 2009). "Injury blow for Foster". Manchester United F.C. Archived from the original on 21 May 2009. Retrieved 18 May 2009.
  44. ^ Hibbs, Ben (7 July 2009). "Foster pens new Reds deal". Manchester United F.C. Archived from the original on 4 September 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  45. ^ McNulty, Phil (9 August 2009). "Chelsea 2–2 Man Utd". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  46. ^ Soneji, Pranav (16 August 2009). "Man Utd 1–0 Birmingham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  47. ^ Hibbs, Ben; Thompson, Gemma (25 September 2009). "Foster to start at Stoke". Manchester United F.C. Archived from the original on 24 January 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  48. ^ Pearce, Jonathan (6 October 2010). "Foster's testing future". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  49. ^ "Walcott left out of England squad". BBC Sport. 4 October 2009. Archived from the original on 7 October 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  50. ^ McNulty, Phil (11 October 2009). "Rooney pulls out of England squad". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  51. ^ a b "Games played by Ben Foster in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  52. ^ Ogden, Mark (26 November 2010). "Manchester United v Besiktas: Sir Alex Ferguson defends Ben Foster the unfortunate". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  53. ^ Macaskill, Sandy (5 May 2010). "Manchester United's Ben Foster concedes he must leave Old Trafford". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  54. ^ Reekie, Harry (9 January 2010). "Birmingham 1–1 Man Utd". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  55. ^ Lyon, Sam (23 February 2010). "Man Utd 3–0 West Ham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  56. ^ Mathieson, Stuart (5 May 2010). "Foster considers Old Trafford exit". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  57. ^ "Birmingham sign Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster". BBC Sport. 19 May 2010. Archived from the original on 21 May 2010. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  58. ^ Macaskill, Sandy (19 May 2010). "Birmingham complete signing of Ben Foster from Manchester United". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  59. ^ "Blues snap up Foster". Birmingham City F.C. 19 May 2010. Archived from the original on 23 May 2010. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  60. ^ Whyatt, Chris (14 August 2010). "Sunderland 2–2 Birmingham". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 15 August 2010. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
  61. ^ Roopanarine, Les (21 August 2010). "Birmingham 2–1 Blackburn". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  62. ^ "England v France: How they rated". Daily Mirror. London. 17 November 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  63. ^ Riach, James (20 November 2010). "Fabulous Foster denies Chelsea". Sky Sports. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  64. ^ Phillips, Owen (20 November 2010). "Birmingham 1–0 Chelsea". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 25 January 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  65. ^ Fleming, Mark (12 January 2011). "Foster's howler hands West Ham and Grant relief from the gloom". The Independent. London. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  66. ^ a b McNulty, Philip (27 February 2011). "Arsenal 1–2 Birmingham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  67. ^ McCarra, Kevin (22 May 2011). "Birmingham relegated after Roman Pavlyuchenko's double for Tottenham". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  68. ^ a b c "Ben's double joy". Birmingham City F.C. 16 May 2011. Archived from the original on 24 July 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  69. ^ "Ben Foster joins West Bromwich Albion on loan". BBC Sport. 29 July 2011. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  70. ^ "Foster: Move was a no-brainer". Sporting Life. 30 June 2012. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
  71. ^ a b c d e "Ben Foster signs for West Brom from Birmingham City". BBC Sport. 29 June 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  72. ^ "Ben Foster happy at home with West Brom". Express & Star. Wolverhampton. 30 June 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
  73. ^ Percy, John (29 June 2012). "West Bromwich Albion sign Birmingham City goalkeeper Ben Foster for £4m a permanent deal". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
  74. ^ a b "Games played by Ben Foster in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  75. ^ Pritchard, Dafydd (21 May 2017). "Swansea City 2–1 West Brom". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  76. ^ "Liverpool 0–2 West Brom". BBC Sport. 11 February 2013. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  77. ^ a b c "Albion Albion announce end-of-season awards winners". West Bromwich Albion F.C. 11 May 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  78. ^ "Ben Foster delighted to be off to Brazil after being named in England squad for World Cup finals". West Bromwich Albion F.C.
  79. ^ Wilson, Matt. "Ben Foster named West Brom supporters' club player of the season". Express & Star. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  80. ^ "Ben Foster and Ken Sema sign for Watford". BBC Sport. 5 July 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  81. ^ "Ben Foster: Goalkeeper signs new Watford deal". BBC Sport. 9 June 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  82. ^ "Ben Foster retires from football". The Athletic. 15 September 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  83. ^ "Carson promoted to England squad". BBC Sport. 26 May 2006. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  84. ^ "Ashton receives England call-up". BBC Sport. 11 August 2006. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  85. ^ Sinnott, John (7 February 2007). "England 0–1 Spain". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  86. ^ Smith, Rory (29 March 2009). "England v Slovakia: How the English players rated". The Telegraph. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  87. ^ McNulty, Phil (14 October 2009). "England 3–0 Belarus". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2009.
  88. ^ McNulty, Phil (14 November 2009). "Brazil 1–0 England". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  89. ^ Winterburn, Sarah (7 January 2020). "Old Folks XI: We start with goalkeeper Ben Foster". Football365. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  90. ^ "BBC Radio 5 live - That Peter Crouch Podcast, WFH: With Ben Foster". BBC. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  91. ^ "Birmingham's Ben Foster halts England career". BBC Sport. 11 May 2011. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
  92. ^ "Ben Foster: Goalkeeper available for England again". BBC Sport. 28 February 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  93. ^ "Rio Ferdinand recalled to England squad for World Cup qualifiers". BBC Sport. 14 March 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  94. ^ "England keeper Ben Foster out for 12 weeks after breaking bone in foot". The Irish Independent. 27 August 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  95. ^ "World Cup 2014: England name Ross Barkley in squad". BBC Sport. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  96. ^ Taylor, Daniel (24 June 2014). "England end disappointing World Cup with barren draw against Costa Rica". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  97. ^ a b "About The Cycling GK". YouTube.
  98. ^ Bacon, Jake (5 January 2021). "Ben Foster has 'put a bit of a target on his back' with YouTube channel, says Deeney". talkSPORT. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  99. ^ Vincent, Gareth. "Lowe makes Foster's YouTube channel". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  100. ^ "Ben Foster - The Cycling GK - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  101. ^ Foster returns to school ahead of Brazil mission
  102. ^ a b "Ben Foster: 'I want to be a cyclist after football. The Alps, Vuelta, Giro'". The Guardian. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  103. ^ "Foster puts Focus team through brutal workout". BBC. 11 April 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  104. ^ "Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster hit with driving ban after speeding". Watford Observer. 25 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  105. ^ "Games played by Ben Foster in 2001/2002". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  106. ^ a b "Games played by Ben Foster in 2002/2003". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  107. ^ "Games played by Ben Foster in 2003/2004". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  108. ^ a b c "Games played by Ben Foster in 2004/2005". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  109. ^ "Player details: Season 2002–2003: Ben Foster". SoccerFactsUK. Archived from the original on 14 June 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  110. ^ "Player details: Season 2003–2004: Ben Foster". SoccerFactsUK. Archived from the original on 14 June 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  111. ^ "Games played by Ben Foster in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  112. ^ "Games played by Ben Foster in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  113. ^ "Games played by Ben Foster in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  114. ^ "Games played by Ben Foster in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  115. ^ "Games played by Ben Foster in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  116. ^ "Games played by Ben Foster in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  117. ^ "Games played by Ben Foster in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  118. ^ "Games played by Ben Foster in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  119. ^ "Games played by Ben Foster in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  120. ^ "Games played by Ben Foster in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  121. ^ "Games played by Ben Foster in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  122. ^ "Games played by Ben Foster in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  123. ^ "Games played by Ben Foster in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  124. ^ "Games played by Ben Foster in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  125. ^ "Games played by Ben Foster in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  126. ^ "Southend 0–2 Wrexham". BBC Sport. 10 April 2005. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  127. ^ McNulty, Phil (18 May 2019). "Manchester City 6–0 Watford". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  128. ^ McNulty, Phil (28 February 2010). "Aston Villa 1–2 Man Utd". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  129. ^ Wilson, Matt. "Ben Foster named West Brom supporters' club player of the season". www.expressandstar.com. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  130. ^ "West Bromwich Albion Player of Year 2005-2021". My Football Facts. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  131. ^ "The London Football Awards 2019 – Celebrating the very best of London Football". londonfootballawards.org. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ben Foster (footballer).
  • Profile at the Watford F.C. website
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ben_Foster_(footballer)&oldid=1124162420"