Ben Foster (footballer)

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)
2002Bristol City (loan) 0 (0)
2002–2003Tiverton Town (loan) 16 (0)
2004Stafford Rangers (loan) 1 (0)
2004Kidderminster Harriers (loan) 2 (0)
2005Wrexham (loan) 17 (0)
2005–2010 Manchester United 12 (0)
2005–2006Watford (loan) 44 (0)
2006–2007Watford (loan) 29 (0)
2010–2012 Birmingham City 38 (0)
2011–2012West Bromwich Albion (loan) 37 (0)
2012–2018 West Bromwich Albion 172 (0)
2018–2022 Watford 125 (0)
2023 Wrexham 12 (0)
Total 505 (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 also runs a YouTube channel, "The Cycling GK", and The Fozcast podcast.

Foster 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. 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. He announced his retirement from football in September 2022 before returning to Wrexham in March 2023. He again retired in August 2023 after helping Wrexham to the National League title.

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.

  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. ^ 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.