PLAYER PROFILE

Ben Foster

Position: Goal

Height: 6'2

Weight: 12st 8lbs

Date of Birth: 1983-04-03 Leamington Spa, England

Ben Foster

In July 2005 Manchester United completed the signing of Stoke City goalkeeper Ben Foster in a deal that could eventually be worth as much as £3million.

The Potters have received an initial down-payment of £1million for the 22-year-old who did not make an appearance for the Championship side.

However, that fee could treble depending on first-team and international appearances during his time at Old Trafford.

Foster moved to the Britannia Stadium from RC Warwick in 2002 and was loaned out to Kidderminster Harriers and Wrexham in 2004/05.

In August 2005, he joined Watford on loan for the rest of the season and played a big role in their promotion to the Barclays Premiership. He returned to Old Trafford in the summer and played for United on their South African tour, but after the arrival of Tomasz Kuszczak, was allowed to rejoin Watford for another year.

His first season in the Premiership saw Foster's reputation sky-rocket as he performed miracles for the Hornets (although he could not prevent their relegation) and made his international debut.

He returned to Old Trafford in the summer of 2007 and despite spending much of the 07/08 campaign sidelined through injury, he remained in Sir Alex Ferguson's plans for the future. 2008/09 was a more successful season for Foster, as he managed several games in cup competitions, including an impressive display in the Carling Cup Final, where his penalty save from Jamie O'Hara helped United win the trophy.

Despite Edwin van der Sar's longevity, Foster signed a new deal in the summer of 2009, reflecting the confidence of Ferguson that he will become United's first choice keeper.