Ben Foster texted Arsenal ace Aaron Ramsdale for advice before retiring

Arsenal star Aaron Ramsdale offered Ben Foster an insight into Eddie Howe, before the former Manchester United goalkeeper hang up his gloves.

Foster recently announced his retirement from elite football at the age of 39. The former England international hangs up his gloves with three Premier League winners medals, three League Cups – one of which won with Birmingham City in 2011 – and having made a staggering 523 appearances.

However, Foster had an audacious opportunity to prolong his career as Newcastle United were ready to sign the experienced shot-stopper on the terms he demanded. To ensure he had as much information as possible, Foster reached out to fellow goalkeeper and close friend Ramsdale, who spent one full season under the Magpies’ boss at Bournemouth, to ask about life under Howe.

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“I text Aaron Ramsdale to say ‘mate, what’s Eddie Howe like’,” Foster said on the ‘Fozcast’ podcast. “I was like, ‘is he a good guy, is he a nice manager’ like all that kind of stuff.

“I was also like ‘how does he work?’ Straight away he texted me back, ‘Fozzy, he’s a top man!’ He’s absolutely top man!’

“‘What he normally does is, the team will have a Sunday off. You might get a day off in the week or something like that’.

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“‘But he’s a top man, you’ll love playing for him honestly’.” Despite Ramsdale’s glowing praise, Foster still decided now was the right time to step away from Premier League football.

The former Watford and West Brom shot-stopper admitted he could not make the move up north as it would mean moving away from his family in the Midlands. At the time, Newcastle were looking for a new back-up goalkeeper after current No.2 Karl Darlow suffered a long term injury in training.

The Toon quickly moved on from their failed pursuit of Foster to sign former Liverpool No.1 Lloris Karius.

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