In the past few seasons under Hollywood ownership, Wrexham have shown their transfer pull with big-name transfers arriving in North Wales.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have been keen to quickly transform Wrexham into a strong English Football League club with high ambitions of reaching the Premier League in the future.
It has been an exciting project for the fans with the likes of Paul Mullin, Ollie Palmer, and Elliot Lee all rejecting offers from higher divisions to be part of the Wrexham journey.
Last summer, Phil Parkinson’s side made a statement with the eyebrow-raising signings of former Premier League players James McClean and Steven Fletcher. Both players may be in the twilight years of their careers, but it was an important step for the Red Dragons.
It showed that the project was working and the club’s reputation was rising within football circles.
Similarly, in 2023, Ben Foster’s shock decision to come out of retirement and return to the Racecourse highlighted the exciting project was underway.
The transfer was exciting for the fans but also made an impression on the dressing room. Former Wrexham centre-back Ben Tozer has been discussing the former Premier League shot-stopper’s arrival in North Wales.
What Wrexham players first thought about Ben Foster
Foster agreed to return to Wrexham, after having a short spell in his younger years. He felt he could help the club in the short term achieve the goal of promotion back to the Football League.
The six-foot-four veteran certainly made an impression on the pitch with a key penalty save in a vital match against promotion rivals Notts County.
This week Tozer has appeared on Foster’s podcast Fozcast, with the pair discussing all things Wrexham.
Speaking about the former Manchester United goalkeeper’s arrival, Tozer said: “I’m not sure if you noticed but you [Foster] were a bit nervous walking into the dressing room.
“I was glad that he [Foster] was respectful, you washed your kit even though you didn’t have to do it. It surprised me stuff like that.”
Foster admitted he struggled in his first training session back after retirement. Tozer added: “Maybe your first day because you get feedback from keepers… but after that you were sound.”
The former Red Dragon was also impressed by Foster in his debut for the club, saying: ” After your first game, I remember speaking to a couple of the lads and I was like wow.
“You were like spinning the ball and stuff like that, catching it and everything, but it was the right recipe weren’t it.”
Ben Foster and Ben Tozer a big miss in Wrexham dressing room
The former Watford goalkeeper decided to retire at the start of last season. The 41-year-old made the decision to step away as he knew he couldn’t perform at the right level anymore.
Tozer left Wrexham this summer and joined Cheltenham Town after his contract expired at the Racecourse.
During the podcast, it is clear that both Tozer and Foster were huge assets with their leadership skills in the dressing room.
Mark Howard has naturally moved into a different role in the goalkeeper department. His mentorship to the younger goalkeepers will be a huge asset to Parkinson.
Tozer’s departure leaves an interesting question. There are many experienced players at Wrexham, but with the departures of Tozer, Foster, and former captain Luke Young it is intriguing to see who will become the natural leader in the Red Dragons’ squad.