Ben Foster was spotted by Alex Ferguson, playing for Wrexham, on loan from Stoke, when the Man Utd manager was watching his son, Darren, in the LDV Vans Trophy Final in 2005, which Wrexham won. Manchester United had been struggling for many years to replace goalkeeping legend Peter Schmeichel, and Ferguson decided to move for the young Foster – paying £1 million but Foster has only made one cap for Manchester United which was in a pre-season friendly against Orlando Pirates.
He joined Manchester United from Stoke City on July 19, 2005. Since the beginning of the 2005–06 season, he has been on loan to Watford. Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd has claimed that “he’s better than current Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar” and believes that “he is going to be the best goalkeeper in the world.” Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has suggested that Foster will succeed Edwin van der Sar as first-choice keeper at United and should eventually replace Paul Robinson as “England’s next goalkeeper.”
Foster had an impressive season at Watford, attracting plaudits from opponents and commentators. His long goal-kick was a particular asset for Watford as many of the team’s goals came via so called ‘route one’ football, with a long clearance from Foster collected by strikers Marlon King and Darius Henderson in promising positions. His imposing stature, confidence at set-pieces and excellent shot-stopping ability also stood out in what was his first full professional season. Foster helped Watford reach the Premier League by beating Leeds United 3–0 in the Championship play-off final.
On August 10, 2006, Foster re-signed on loan for Watford after Manchester United secured the services of Polish goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak on loan. Foster remained at Vicarage Road for the entire 2006–07 season as United had no option to recall him.
In June 2007, it was announced that Foster would undergo surgery on a cruciate ligament injury in his right knee. It is unclear, at this stage, how long it will take for him to recover.
