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Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds paid tribute to Ben Foster after the former Manchester United goalkeeper quit the club and retired for the second time in his career.
Foster is best remembered for playing for Manchester United, West Bromwich Albion, and Watford. Over the course of his storied career, he made 536 appearances, keeping 143 clean sheets. He also won six major trophies.
The former England international called time on his career on September 15, 2022, months after he left Watford as a free agent. However, Reynolds convinced Foster to return as Wrexham's starting goalkeeper following an injury to Rob Lainton.
Ben Foster obliged and came out of retirement, signing a short-term contract with the National League club on March 23, 2023. The 40-year-old made eight appearances and kept three clean sheets. He heroically aided Wrexham secure promotion to EFL League Two, saving a last-minute penalty in a promotion decider against Notts County in which the Red Dragons won 3-2.
Foster decided to continue playing for the club heading into the 2023-24 season, however, he was unable to maintain a high level of consistency. On August 20, he announced his retirement from football for the second time in his career.
Ryan Reynolds paid tribute to the English shot-stopper by tweeting (via Dailystar):
"He built memories I’ll never let go of for as long as I live. I love this guy. Thank you for everything, Ben."
The 40-year-old is likely to pursue his passion in content creation. He has a YouTube channel named 'Ben Foster - The Cycling GK', which has over 1.45 million subscribers.
Ben Foster reveals why he decided to prematurely retire from Wrexham
Ben Foster shocked the footballing world by prematurely retiring from Wrexham on August 20. He issued a statement on social media, articulating why he decided to go through with the difficult decision of hanging up his boots (via Dailystar).
"The honest truth is that my performances this season haven’t reached the level I demand of myself and I feel that now is the right time to retire," Foster said. "At the forefront of my mind when making this decision, was not only what was best for me but also the Club, and making the decision now gives the club every opportunity to assess their options before the window closes. Wrexham will always have a special place in my heart."
Ben Foster had a heroic end to his 2022-23 season and was an integral factor in Wrexham being promoted to League Two.
However, he was unable to replicate the same form this season. He failed to keep any clean sheets in his four appearances and also conceded 13 goals. The 40-year-old also conceded five goals each in two separate games, including the recent 5-5 draw against Swindon Town.
He was targeted for being unable to dive to save shots going into the bottom corner of the goal. Many fans called for him to retire, to which he obliged on Monday morning.
Wrexham are currently 15th in League Two with five points.
