Wrexham goalkeeper Ben Foster has signed a new deal with the club after they sealed promotion back to the Football League.
The ex-England shot stopper, 40, had hinted at extending his stay in North Wales after coming out of retirement to join the Red Dragons earlier this year and helping them win the National League title with a dramatic last-minute penalty save against Notts County.
But now Foster has cleared up speculation around his future by signing a new one-year contract with Phil Parkinson's side and continuing a career that has seen him play for Manchester United, Watford, Birmingham City and West Brom and Watford in the Premier League and make eight appearances for England.
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Confirming he was staying at Wrexham, where he previously played 17 times on loan back in 2005, the goalkeeper admitted he had already made up his mind about signing a new deal even before the club had sealed promotion to League Two.
“At the end of last season it was obvious that I enjoyed being at the club, I loved being part of the team and everything that Wrexham stands for," he said. “The fans took to me so warmly, Phil Parkinson is brilliant, Steve Parkin is top class, I love Aidan Davison to bits, and the Co-Chairmen are out of this world.
“I’d decided before the end of last season I wanted to do it, because it feels like home. I’ve never joined a football club and felt at ease so quickly.”
The news comes after Wrexham's Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney spoke of their desire to keep Foster at the club, with the former jokingly calling the goalkeeper "a son of a b****" after his heroics against Notts County before bursting into a post-match press conference and demanding his shirt following the game against Boreham Wood that sealed their promotion.
And amid the celebrations at the Racecourse Ground after the Boreham Wood clash, Reynolds made the keeper an informal contract offer, after the 40-year-old turned to the co-owner and told him: "We’ll do it again next season.”
Reynolds replied enthusiastically: "Yes! All right, that's a contract. It’s done."
Reacting to Foster's contract extension, manager Phil Parkinson said: “We’re delighted that Ben has signed for the coming season.
"It’s a key signing for us because we all saw the impact, he had not just on the pitch but also around the training ground, and we are all looking forward to working with him again next season.”
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