Foster joins Wrexham's promotion charge on short-term deal

Ben Foster has come out of retirement to join Wrexham until the end of the season.

Earlier this month, the veteran stopper exclusively told LiveScore that he turned down a chance to sign for the Red Dragons before hanging up his gloves at the start of the season.

And he has decided to come back for a second spell with the National League leaders, who he joined on loan in 2005.

Foster, 39, said: "I’m over the moon. I’ve been at the club an hour this morning and it seems a really nice place. Everyone is down to earth and the manager’s top class. 

"It’s changed a lot since I was last here, but it’s nice to be back and it’s nice to be back as a player too. It will be interesting to see how my body feels after training today! I’m looking forward to getting started. 

"The first time I was here, it was genuinely the springboard to the rest of my career — on the back of the loan move, playing in the LDV Vans Trophy Final at the Millennium Stadium, I got my move to Manchester United at the start of the next season. It was absolutely bonkers! 

"If you’d told me 18 years ago that I’d have gone on to have the career that I have had, I probably wouldn’t have believed you to be honest so I do owe a lot to Wrexham."

Wrexham moved quickly after No1 Rob Lainton was ruled out for six weeks having picked up an injury at the weekend.

Manager Phil Parkinson added: "We’re delighted to welcome Ben to the club. 

"With Rob Lainton getting injured at the weekend, it was important we had all bases covered going into the last part of the season, which this signing ensures."

Wrexham, owned by Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, are three points clear of second-placed Notts County and have a game in hand over their promotion rivals.

Fighting for just one automatic promotion spot and a Football League return, the Welsh outfit host York on Saturday with Foster likely to make his debut.

Celebrity pair Reynolds and McElhenney have transformed the club since taking charge two years ago, with the documentary series Welcome to Wrexham introducing the team and wider community to international audiences.