Ben Foster (footballer) facts for kids
Foster playing for West Bromwich Albion in 2017
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ben Anthony Foster | ||
| Date of birth | 3 April 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Leamington Spa, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –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".
Contents
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
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 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
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 | |
|---|---|
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| 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
| 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
| 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
- Football League Cup: 2008–09, 2009–10
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
