Former Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster has opened up about life as a Red Devils player, and says wearing the shirt on matchday takes a 'phenomenal toll' on everyone
The former England goalkeeper, who spent five years on United's books, says he thinks the weight of expectation on the shoulders of Red Devils stars can be much to handle for some of them, and that this might explain the club's struggles over the past decade or so.
Foster, 41, played just 23 times for United, but says every appearance took a "phenomenal" toll on him. "Once you're in that starting XI, mate, the toll it takes on you is phenomenal. They all want you to fail, they want you to fail so badly in fact. The media world that we live in, they want Man Utd to fail, that's good for business."
"If Jadon Sancho put that performance in for Borussia Dortmund , and then he had a game for Man Utd in two days' time, I promise you he would be a shell of a player," Foster said. "He wouldn't be the same player because as soon as you put that Man Utd shirt on you realise that there's expectation and that's what gets in people's heads.
Foster joined United from Stoke City for £1million in 2005, but didn't end up making his senior debut for the club until 2008. He spent the next two-and-a-half seasons playing second and third fiddle to Edwin van der Sar and Tomasz Kuszczak before leaving for Birmingham City in 2010.Try MUFC Pro NOW for free Subscribe to our brilliant app for the best way to enjoy the M.E.N's unrivalled Manchester United coverage.
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