Former Manchester United and Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster has come out of retirement to sign a short-term deal with National League side Wrexham. It comes just months after the goalkeeper turned down a move to Newcastle United with Eddie Howe's side in the midst of an injury crisis.
Foster claims the Magpies offered him a lucrative deal to sign at St. James' Park but has no regrets over turning them down. Instead, the Magpies would sign Loris Karius and the rest is history and with Foster calling time on his career and hanging up the gloves.
However, the former England international has come out of retirement to sign for Wrexham after their number one goalkeeper Rob Lainton suffered a knee ligament injury. Foster, 39, returns to the Racecourse Ground 18 years after he last played for the Club, on a loan spell which included a starring role in the LDV Vans Trophy Final success at the Millennium Stadium.
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“I’m over the moon," Foster said. "I’ve been at the club an hour this morning and it seems a really nice place. Everyone is down to earth and the manager’s top class.
“It’s changed a lot since I was last here, but it’s nice to be back and it’s nice to be back as a player too. It will be interesting to see how my body feels after training today! I’m looking forward to getting started.
“The first time I was here, it was genuinely the springboard to the rest of my career – on the back of the loan move, playing in the LDV Vans Trophy Final at the Millennium Stadium, I got my move to Manchester United at the start of the next season. It was absolutely bonkers!
“If you’d told me 18 years ago that I’d have gone on to have the career that I have had, I probably wouldn’t have believed you to be honest so I do owe a lot to Wrexham.”
Foster's first spell at the club came during a loan spell from Stoke City, making 21 appearances in all competitions to earn his move to Old Trafford – having starred at the Millennium Stadium alongside Sir Alex Ferguson’s son Darren. Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said of his signing: “We’re delighted to welcome Ben to the Club.
“With Rob Lainton getting injured at the weekend, it was important we had all bases covered going into the last part of the season, which this signing ensures.”
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