After winning the Soccer Aid trophy, Ben Foster tried to persuade former Manchester United teammate Nani to join Wrexham next season.
There are many fascinating side-stories when it comes to Wrexham these days. But perhaps the most entertaining over the past year has been the heroic return of Ben Foster.
The 40-year-old former England goalkeeper came out of retirement to join the Red Dragons for the final eight games of the season after injuries to Mark Howard and Rob Lainton.
Cycling GK to stay at Wrexham for at least one more season
Foster, who had a brief loan spell with the club in 2005, wrote himself into Wrexham folklore last season after a dramatic 97th minute penalty save against title rivals Notts County.
Until recently, it was unclear whether Foster would re-sign with the club for next season in the Football League.
However, last week Wrexham announced Foster had signed a one-year contract extension with the club that will see him stay until the end of the 2023/2024 campaign.
Ben Foster tries to persuade Man United star Nani to join Wrexham
Foster was back at his old stomping ground at Old Trafford recently for Soccer Aid. The Wrexham goalkeeper was part of the World XI team who lifted the Soccer Aid trophy, having beaten England 4-2 in the charity match.
There were a ton of famous faces at the game, including Manchester United legend Nani, who Foster tried to persuade to come to Wrexham next season.
The Portuguese star made 147 appearances for United in the mid 00s’, winning four Premier League titles and the 2007-2008 Champions League.
He came on for the World XI with half an hour to go, and Foster spoke to his former teammate after the game in a video for his Cycling GK YouTube channel.
“Nani hasn’t got a club everybody,’ Foster said. “I think he should come to Wrexham…Do you want to come to Wrexham?”
Nani simply replied: “You never know”, with Foster seemingly unconvinced as he joked “liar” – to which Nani gave a wry smile.
Nani would be one of Wrexham’s most decorated players
It remains a long shot but Nani would undoubtedly be Wrexham’s most decorated player if he joined the club. The mercurial winger played 112 times for his national team and was part of the Portugal team that won Euro 2016.
After leaving United in 2015, following a brief loan spell back at Sporting CP where he started his career, Nani played for Fenerbahçe and Valencia.
He re-joined Sporting, winning the Portuguese Cup in 2018, before moving to MLS, captaining Orlando City for three seasons. In 2022 he moved to Venezia in Italy, and most recently played for Melbourne Victory in Australia.
The 36-year-old is now a free agent following the expiration of his contract with the Victory.