Ben Foster spent much of his early playing career on loan in non-league football, however it was by chance that the Warwickshire born shot stopper was spotted by Sir Alex Ferguson in 2005 while on loan at Wrexham.
Ferguson was in attendance to watch his son Darren, but with United struggling to find a heir apparent between the sticks since the departure of Peter Schmeichel, the red devils boss snapped up the young keeper shortly after for GBP1million.
At the age of 22, Foster was deemed not ready for first team action, and swiftly went out on loan to Championship side Watford for the season, with an option of a further year.
Watford boss Aidy Boothroyd claimed in the press that Foster was 'better than current Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar' and he would be 'England's next goalkeeper', he repaid faith by helping Watford to promotion via a play off final victory over Leeds United.
He remained on loan at Watford in the Premier League and a succession of impressive displays earned him the clubs 'player of the season' award.
Boothroyd expressed a desire to keep Foster on the Watford books for a third season in a row, however the United manager made it clear the promising keeper would be returning to Old Trafford.
It finally seemed as though Foster would get some game time for his parent club two years after originally signing for them, however he underwent surgery on a cruciate knee ligament injury that would rule him out until February 2008.
After returning to action, he made sporadic appearances for the first team in league and cup due to injuries and in order to rest Edwin Van Der Sar for big games.
Following a combination of niggling injuries, inconsistent form when called upon and Tomasz Kuszczak ahead of him in the United pecking order, Foster resigned himself to the necessity of a move away from Old Trafford to gain first team football.
That came in the shape of a three year contract with Birmingham City, a team in search of a replacement for incumbent loanee Joe Hart who would return to Manchester City.
Foster was relatively consistent throughout the season in the league, but for a mistake whilst on England duty in a 2-1 defeat to France.
A week later, the goalkeeper made a multitude of stops to deny league champions Chelsea, as Birmingham held firm for a 1-0 league win.
Foster told the Mirror: “When I signed on, I was just relieved to be playing first-team football. It has gone from strength to strength for me. It has worked out really well.”
A further 'blunder' did creep in during the semi final of the league cup, against West Ham, where Carlton Cole's shot slid underneath him.
However he made up for his error in the final, with a string of good saves on the way to a 2-1 victory over Arsenal, Birmingham city's first trophy in 48 years.
“To win a cup in my first season here is amazing”, said Foster.
The teams league cup final heroics couldn't keep them in the top flight and were relegated on the final day of the 2010-11 season.
Nevertheless, Foster was awarded both Birmingham's player of the season and players' player of the season awards.
Following relegation to the 2nd tier of English football, Foster found himself in familiar territory, on loan, this time at Premier League side West Bromwich Albion.
Foster would appear in 37 of 38 league games, keeping 10 clean sheets – equalling WBA's clean sheet record on route to a 10th placed finish in the Premier League, Albion's highest league finish in 30 years.
In June 2012, he joined the Baggies permanently on a 3 year deal, continuing his impressive displays by recording 7 clean sheets in 30 games.
Despite a 4 month lay off due to a foot injury this term, Foster has been included in Roy Hodgson's 23 man England squad to fly out to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup.
His selection comes as a reward for his hard work and performances on merit over the last few seasons whereby the 31 year old has found some stability in which to ply his trade.
FOOTBALLER'S STRIFE: Foster sustained a cruciate knee ligament injury on returning to Manchester United from a loan spell at Watford, this proved to scupper his promising United career.
ONE TO REMEMBER: Helped Birmingham win their first trophy in 48 years, with an impressive display against Arsenal in the league cup final, he was man of the match.
ONE TO FORGET: Foster and Birmingham couldn't beat the drop after the league cup triumph and were relegated to the Championship on the final day of the 2010-11 season.
FOOTBALLER STATS:
POSITION: Goalkeeper
CLUB: West Bromwich Albion
DOB: 03/04/1983
INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 6
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