Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson has weighed in on Ben Foster’s surprise retirement decision, insisting it “wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction”.
Veteran goalkeeper Ben Foster was instrumental in helping the Red Dragons achieve promotion from the National League last season.
The former Manchester United and England goalkeeper came out of retirement to play the final stretch of games last season to aid Wrexham in their playoff push.
His penalty save in the 96th minute against title rivals Notts County to secure a vital 3-2 will go down in Wrexham folklore, and the Cycling GK will always be held in high regard by the Wrexham faithful.
Foster announces retirement saying he “can’t do the things he used to”
However, Foster hasn’t looked the same this season, failing to prevent a number of goal you’d normally expect him to make.
Foster was guilty of letting a few saveable shots in at the weekend in Wrexham’s exhilarating 5-5 draw with Swindon, which the goalie has cited for his reasons for retiring.
“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 told Wrexham’s website.
“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.”
Foster admitted that he’d been “brutally honest” with himself and that he “can’t really do what he used to do.
“Wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction”: Phil Parkinson weighs in on Ben Foster’s shock decision
However, manager Phil Parkinson has shared his side of the story, saying he had a conversation with Foster after the Swindon Town fixture on Saturday.
Parkinson it “wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction” and the pair had an extremely honest chat with one another.
“Fozzy is a good lad. He has been great round the building. We have enjoyed working with him,” the Wrexham boss said. “It is a shame but he feels that he just can’t do it anymore. That’s fair enough. We had a chat just after the game. It wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction to that particular game. We just had a really good chat and then spoke again on Monday morning. Ben is a man, proper man. You don’t play at the top unless you have great honesty about your own performance.”
McElhenney and Reynolds react to the news
Social media was full of praise for the goalkeeper, with Wrexham fans in particular thanking him for his services to the club.
Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds was one of Foster’s biggest supporters and had this to say on Twitter.
“He built memories I’ll never let go of for as long as I live. I love this guy. Thank you for everything, Ben.”