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Ben Foster
Ben Foster Manchester United v West Bromwich Albion 2017.jpg
Foster playing for West Bromwich Albion in 2017
Personal information
Full name Ben Anthony Foster
Date of birth (1983-04-03) 3 April 1983 (age 42)
Place of birth Leamington Spa, England
Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
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 (loan) 38 (0)
2011–2012 West 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. He played as a goalkeeper for many years.

Ben started his career in 2001 with Stoke City. He spent time on loan at several clubs, including Wrexham. In 2005, he joined Manchester United. He also had two successful loan spells at Watford.

Later, Ben played for Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion. He won the League Cup twice with Manchester United and once with Birmingham City. He returned to Watford in 2018. Ben retired from football in September 2022. However, he came out of retirement in March 2023 to play for Wrexham again. He helped Wrexham win the National League title before retiring for good in August 2023.

Ben Foster also played for the England national team. He was part of England's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Outside of football, he has a popular YouTube channel called "The Cycling GK". He also hosts a podcast called "The Fozcast".

Ben Foster's Football Journey

Early Career at Stoke City

Ben Foster was born in Leamington Spa, England. He began his football journey at a local club called Racing Club Warwick. He became their main goalkeeper in December 2000.

In April 2001, Ben became a professional player. He joined Stoke City, a club in the Second Division at the time. While at Stoke, he went on loan to several other teams. These loans helped him gain valuable experience. He played for clubs like Tiverton Town and Wrexham.

Joining Manchester United

While playing for Wrexham on loan, Ben caught the eye of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson. Ferguson was impressed and decided to sign Ben. The transfer happened in July 2005.

Loan Spells at Watford

Ben was not quite ready for Manchester United's first team. So, he was sent on loan to Watford in August 2005. Watford's manager, Aidy Boothroyd, believed Ben would become a top goalkeeper. Ben helped Watford get promoted to the Premier League. They beat Leeds United 3–0 in the play-off final.

He stayed at Watford for a second loan season in 2006. His great performances earned him Watford's Player of the Season award. Manchester United decided to bring him back to their team after this successful period.

Playing for Manchester United

Ben Foster
Foster training with Watford in 2007

In June 2007, Ben had surgery on a knee injury. This meant he missed the start of the 2007–08 season. He made his debut for Manchester United on 15 March 2008. He played against Derby County and helped his team win 1–0.

Ben played in the 2009 Football League Cup final at Wembley Stadium. He helped Manchester United win the cup by saving a penalty in the shootout. After the match, he won the Alan Hardaker Trophy for being the best player. It was later revealed that Ben used an iPod to study the opposing team's penalty takers.

Manchester United saw Ben as a future star. He signed a new four-year contract with the club. However, he faced some challenges and injuries. He played fewer games than he hoped for.

Moving to Birmingham City

Ben Foster cropped
Foster playing for Birmingham City in 2010

Ben decided he needed to play more regularly. In May 2010, he signed a three-year contract with Birmingham City. He quickly became their main goalkeeper.

Ben had a fantastic season with Birmingham City. He helped them win the 2011 Football League Cup final. He won the Alan Hardaker Trophy again for his excellent performance in the final. He was also named Birmingham's Player of the Season. Even though Birmingham City was relegated that season, Ben's individual performances were outstanding.

Time at West Bromwich Albion

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

In July 2011, Ben joined West Bromwich Albion on loan. He played in almost all their league matches. He helped the club finish in 10th place, which was their highest league finish in 30 years. He also won the supporters' and players' player of the year awards.

Ben signed permanently with West Brom in June 2012. He continued to play very well. He helped West Brom achieve their highest Premier League position of 8th in the 2012–13 season. He even saved a penalty from Steven Gerrard against Liverpool. Ben's great form led to him being called up for the 2014 England World Cup squad.

Return to Watford

After West Brom was relegated, Ben returned to Watford in July 2018. He became their first-choice goalkeeper again. He signed another two-year contract in June 2020. Ben left Watford in June 2022 when his contract ended.

Second Spell at Wrexham

On 15 September 2022, Ben Foster announced his retirement from football. He was 39 years old. However, he came out of retirement on 23 March 2023. He signed a short-term contract with National League club Wrexham. This was after their main goalkeeper got injured.

He made his second debut for Wrexham two days later. This was his first game for Wrexham in over 17 years! On 10 April, he saved a penalty in stoppage time. This helped Wrexham win a crucial match and get closer to the league title. On 22 April, Wrexham won the National League title and were promoted to League Two.

Ben signed a new one-year contract with Wrexham in June 2023. However, on 20 August, he announced his retirement again. He felt he could no longer play at his best. He played his last match for Wrexham at 40 years old.

International Career with England

Ben Foster was first called up to the England squad in May 2006. He made his England debut on 7 February 2007, in a match against Spain.

He earned his second cap in a 4–0 win against Slovakia in 2009. Ben played his third England game against Belarus, where he made an impressive one-handed save. He also played against Brazil in a friendly match.

In May 2011, Ben decided to take a break from international football. He wanted to focus on his club career and avoid injuries. He returned to the England squad in February 2013.

Ben was chosen for England's 2014 FIFA World Cup squad. He played in a warm-up match against Ecuador. He also played the full 90 minutes in England's last group match against Costa Rica, keeping a clean sheet.

Ben Foster's YouTube Channel

Ben Foster - The Cycling GK
Cycling GK.png
YouTube information
Years active 2020–present
Subscribers 1.46 million
Total views 167 million
Associated acts King Ekong, Sidemen
Subscriber and view counts updated as of May 2025.

Ben Foster has a very popular YouTube channel called "Ben Foster – The Cycling GK". He started it in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown. On his channel, he shares videos about cycling. He also posts vlogs from matchdays, sometimes using a GoPro camera inside his goal! He even uses an Insta360 camera on his chest for a first-person view.

As of April 2023, his channel has over 1.43 million subscribers. It has also received over 138 million views. Ben also hosts a podcast called "Fozcast – The Ben Foster Podcast". He has another channel for golf called "The Golfing GK".

Personal Life

Ben Foster attended North Leamington School. He lives with his wife and two children. They live on a farm in Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire. Ben is also a very keen cyclist.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

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 Second Division 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2002–03 First Division 0 0 0 0 0 0
2003–04 First Division 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2004–05 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 Second Division 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Tiverton Town (loan) 2002–03 Southern League Premier Division 16 0 16 0
Stafford Rangers (loan) 2003–04 Southern League Premier Division 1 0 1 0
Kidderminster Harriers (loan) 2004–05 League Two 2 0 2 0
Wrexham (loan) 2004–05 League One 17 0 4 0 21 0
Manchester United 2007–08 Premier League 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
2008–09 Premier League 2 0 3 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 9 0
2009–10 Premier League 9 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 13 0
Total 12 0 3 0 4 0 3 0 1 0 23 0
Watford (loan) 2005–06 Championship 44 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 48 0
2006–07 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 Premier League 38 0 1 0 4 0 43 0
West Bromwich Albion (loan) 2011–12 Premier League 37 0 2 0 0 0 39 0
West Bromwich Albion 2012–13 Premier League 30 0 0 0 1 0 31 0
2013–14 Premier League 24 0 1 0 0 0 25 0
2014–15 Premier League 28 0 2 0 0 0 30 0
2015–16 Premier League 15 0 4 0 0 0 19 0
2016–17 Premier League 38 0 0 0 0 0 38 0
2017–18 Premier League 37 0 3 0 1 0 41 0
Total 209 0 12 0 2 0 223 0
Watford 2018–19 Premier League 38 0 0 0 0 0 38 0
2019–20 Premier League 38 0 0 0 0 0 38 0
2020–21 Championship 23 0 0 0 0 0 23 0
2021–22 Premier League 26 0 0 0 1 0 27 0
Total 125 0 0 0 1 0 126 0
Wrexham 2022–23 National League 8 0 8 0
2023–24 League Two 4 0 0 0 4 0
Total 12 0 0 0 12 0
Career total 505 0 20 0 11 0 3 0 8 0 547 0

International Appearances

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 and Awards

Wrexham

  • Football League Trophy: 2004–05
  • National League: 2022–23

Watford

  • Football League Championship play-offs: 2006 (Promotion to Premier League)

Manchester United

Birmingham City

  • Football League Cup: 2010–11

Individual Awards

  • Watford Player of the Season: 2006–07
  • Alan Hardaker Trophy (Best player in League Cup Final): 2009, 2011
  • Birmingham City Player of the Season: 2010–11
  • Birmingham City Players' Player of the Season: 2010–11
  • West Bromwich Albion Supporters' Player of the Season: 2011–12, 2013–14, 2016–17, 2017–18
  • West Bromwich Albion Players' Player of the Season: 2011–12, 2013–14
  • London Football Awards Goalkeeper of the Year: 2019
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