By David Williams
Ben Foster has told Wrexham fans worried he may need Premier League pampering: “Don’t worry – I’m low maintenance.”
The former England goalkeeper kept a clean sheet on his debut for the club as they beat York City 3-0 at the weekend to move another step nearer towards a return to the Football League.
Foster, 39, had signed for the club earlier in the week on a short-term deal until the end of the season as cover for the injured Rob Lainton.
The @Wrexham_AFC defence was rock solid yesterday including an excellent performance from @BenFoster .Ben just a bit rusty on pre match formality’s 😂😂😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/FbR1qlvDom
— Gareth Pugh-Jones (@GarethPughJone1) March 26, 2023
He kept everything at bay in his first game after coming out of retirement and says his main focus is to ensure the club wins the National League.
With Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney recording their every move for more Netflix episodes of “Welcome To Wrexham”, and Foster running his own YouTube channel, “The Fozcast”,
there are plenty who reckon the signing had more to do with gathering eyeballs and online hits more than points for the league table.
“It just works. It absolutely works,” conceded Foster of his decision to dig out the gloves to play for the most hyped football club outside of the Premier League.
But Foster insists the football task is his priority and he is happy to get down and dirty at some of the less attractive away venues of non-league.
Seen quite a bit of dialogue on Ben Foster since he signed for Wrexham.
Regardless of what you think about the GoPro and his YouTube channel, I personally don’t doubt that he’s a top guy, as shown through this video with Molly. #WatfordFC pic.twitter.com/vd3AxWqH7l
— Sam Ucko (@Sam_ucko) March 25, 2023
Foster told his Fozcast followers, “I’m a very low maintenance player. I don’t need too much love and attention. Just wheel me out, I’ll get on with it, sweet as a nut!”
The former Watford keeper – who will turn 40 next week – said he met with Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson before the York game and reassured him he didn’t need posh Premier League dressing rooms or big wages.
But he has brought back the Foster GoPro camera he took to filming with from the back of his goal.
Whether that footage ends up on The Fozcast or Welcome to Wrexham could be one for the lawyers.
“3-0, clean sheet, just met Ryan Reynolds in the tunnel… doesn’t get much better than that”
Ben Foster is a happy man after his first game back at Wrexham 18 years on pic.twitter.com/tuijXS59vg
— Nathan Salt (@NathSalt1) March 25, 2023
But Foster – who says his wages are “peanuts” – added: “Phil Parkinson, what a guy – salt of the earth, down to earth, proper old school football manager. More importantly, was the bloke’s values. He seems like a lovely man.
“He said, ‘Remember it’s non-league, we are not playing on beautiful pristine pitches’. I said, ‘Phil, you’ve got the wrong guy. I’m not fussed about any of that stuff.
“I don’t need the glitz and the glamour. I don’t need all the bright, shiny, sparkly bits. Once I know what it is, that’s enough for me. I can deal with it.
“First and foremost, it’s about what happens on the pitch. I need to help Wrexham get over the line.
“Wrexham obviously have a lot of backing now. They have a much better infrastructure than most of the clubs in the National League and their budget is good.
“They have history, they have always been a Football League team and they deserve to be back in the Football League.
“It’s so close, but we just need to get over that line.
“I owe a lot to Wrexham. They gave me my first opportunity to show what I could do.”
Ben Foster comes out of retirement and joins National League leaders Wrexham until end of the season 🚴🏻♂️🧤 #transfers
“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!”, he said. pic.twitter.com/D6PtkAg8sR
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 23, 2023