The former Manchester United star received a verbal beating from the iconic manager and decided to leave just weeks later
Ben Foster opened up about his experience at United(Image: https://www.youtube.com/@MickandTonyTheManagers)
Ben Foster quit Manchester United just weeks after getting the “hairdryer treatment” from Sir Alex Ferguson. The retired goalkeeper spent five years at Old Trafford with two loan stints at Watford throughout his tenure.
Foster made just 23 appearances for United after signing from Stoke City in 2005 for a £1 million fee. One of these appearances was a 1-1 draw with Sunderland towards the end of his career as a Red Devil that it didn’t turn out the way he would’ve hoped.
In fact, the shotstopper told his wife Kate that United was “not for me” after earning one of Fergie’s famous dressing room rants over his performance. During an appearance on The Managers with Mick McCarthy and Tony Pulis, Foster opened up about his final hurrah at Old Trafford.
He said: “Yeah we played Kenwyne [Jones] for Sunderland, a one-all draw at Old Trafford and I hadn’t played in a little while and he put me in. He said, ‘Listen, I’m going to give you a go against Sunderland. You know, they’re struggling a bit. I think it’ll be a good game for you.’
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“Anyway, I’ve made a mistake for the goal, come out and tried to punch it. Big Kenwyne, b***** hell he’s strong and he’s just beat me to the header and headed it in. Patrice Evra thankfully scored a last-second goal, a last-minute equaliser.
“We got away with a one-all draw but [when] come in at full time, God, has he given me, honestly, absolute pelters, full-on hairdryer and in front of all the lads. But when Sir Alex is going at it, all the other lads just keep their heads down because they don’t want anything [to do with it]. They don’t want none of the smoke.”
Foster spent five years as a United player(Image: ANDREW YATES/AFP via Getty Images)
After receiving a verbal bashing from Fergie, Foster went straight to his partner for support. He added: “I just remember coming away from that, I remember talking to my wife about it and just saying, ‘This isn’t for me. I can’t deal with this, it’s not for me, I really can’t,’ and that was it, that was genuinely it.”
In May 2010, Foster secured a move away from United and signed for Birmingham City for a fee believed to be around £6m. Discussing his departure, he said: “I remember going in a few weeks later, we still had probably about six weeks left of the season to go.
“Sir Alex said, ‘Birmingham have made a bid for you, it’s a really good deal, £6million, it’s great for the club, but also really good for you,’ because I think even he knew anyway. He said, ‘I think it is probably just too big for you.’ And I was like, ‘Thank you so much. I was buzzing. I’m so happy.’”
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