Ben Foster has lifted the lid on the day Sir Alex Ferguson told him his Manchester United career was over after a horror display in a fiery Premier League game in 2009
Ben Foster has revealed the moment Sir Alex Ferguson delivered the crushing news that his Manchester United career was over. But he also explained why he still has nothing but admiration for his former boss despite the heartbreak.
The shot-stopper arrived at United from Stoke City in 2005 after catching the eye of the legendary Scottish manager during a loan spell at Wrexham. He found it tough to establish himself in the first team throughout his Old Trafford tenure, with the reliable Edwin van der Sar firmly established as the club’s number one.
Foster was initially farmed out to Watford on a temporary basis for his opening two campaigns to help his progression. Although he returned to United ahead of the 2007-08 season, injury woes kept him sidelined for the majority of that campaign, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The former England goalkeeper went on to claim the League Cup on two occasions with United, though his Premier League outings remained limited. It was an unconvincing display during a heated Manchester derby clash in the top flight in September 2009 that marked the start of his downfall at the club.
Foster was selected by Sir Alex to deputise for the injured Van der Sar in an enthralling 4-3 triumph over Man City, with Michael Owen netting a sensational stoppage-time winner at Old Trafford.
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However, a crucial error from the keeper resulted in him facing his manager’s notorious “hairdryer” treatment once the final whistle had blown. Reflecting on the incident during the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, Foster revealed: “I had an absolute stinker and I knew the writing was on the wall. I heard the manager saying something, because they had a telly in the changing rooms at Old Trafford.
“He was watching the replays, and I’m next to him thinking, ‘Oh god, someone turn this telly off. This is s***.’ He’s watching it, and he’s said to somebody, ‘God, he needs to come out.’ I knew he was talking about me and lo and behold, I was out the next week.
“He would tell you exactly where you stood, but I loved that about him. He was like, ‘Listen, I can see that your confidence has gone so I’m taking you out of the team. I’m going to put Tomasz Kuszczak in for a bit, and then Edwin’s back in a couple of weeks anyway.'”.
Despite his blunder, Foster found himself back between the sticks for United’s Premier League encounter with Sunderland at Old Trafford the following month. Another howler from the goalkeeper allowed Kenwyne Jones to find the net during the 2-2 stalemate.
That crucial moment didn’t merely cost him his spot in the squad – it effectively sealed his final top-flight outing for United. Yet reflecting on those dark days, Foster admitted he valued Sir Alex’s brutal honesty, whilst departing the club actually kickstarted his career properly.
He explained: “Big Kenwyne Jones was up front for them, and the ball came into the box. I’d gone to punch it, but he headed it first and scored, and he left me on the floor in a heap. I’m like, ‘Oh God’.
“Again, Patrice Evra scored a last minute goal which rescued me a bit, but the manager was fuming. I remember going into the changing rooms at full-time and then that was the hair dryer.
“He said, ‘You’re never playing for this club again’, but it was in front of all the lads as well. I just remember thinking, ‘Oh, this is horrible. I don’t need this.’ That was it in my head that I was done, and I was.
“At the time, it was horrible but I left at the end of that season and signed for Birmingham. That, for me, is when my career really started.”
Following his departure from Old Trafford at the conclusion of the 2009-10 campaign, Foster moved to Birmingham City, where he established himself as the club’s number one keeper, securing a third League Cup triumph with the Blues in 2011.
His stellar displays earned him a switch to West Bromwich Albion in 2012, where he continued his excellent form. Foster, who earned eight England caps throughout his career, subsequently enjoyed a four-year stint at Watford before concluding his playing days back at Wrexham, helping them secure National League glory in 2023.
He now presents his own podcast, dubbed Fozcast, where he chats about football with various guests.
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