Foster's bright outlook

Ben Foster is refusing to let his spell on the sidelines with a knee injury get him down, and says it could even make him a better goalkeeper.

This season promised to be a crucial one for the 24-year-old goalkeeper who, just two years ago, couldn’t get a game for his former club Stoke City.

It has been a remarkable rise up the football ladder in the two years since joining United as a relative unknown in 2005. Although he is yet to make his competitive debut for the Reds, Foster was outstanding during two seasons on loan at Watford, has already been capped for England and is seen as a strong contender to be Edwin van der Sar’s long-term successor at United.

However, he was forced to undergo back in June to remove a fragment of bone from his knee, an operation which at the time he said was career-saving.

After the initial disappointment, Foster has been nothing but positive. "It was all looking rosy for me and big things were expected and talked about for me this year with United and England," Ben said at the launch of Sells goalkeeper range for 2007-08.

"The injury was a devastating blow. You could start tormenting yourself with thoughts of what might have been happening this year for me. Thoughts about United and England went out of the window for me very quickly.

"After the initial upset I just got my head round it and blanked out the `what if' thoughts. I couldn't afford to think or worry about it.”

Foster sees the time away from playing as an opportunity to improve his all-round game. "The way I looked at it is that I have a very good chance to work on things and other parts of my game that you don't normally get a chance to when you are playing,” he said.

"I have a great opportunity to work on other areas like strength and spring. It could make me a better goalkeeper.

"The last time I suffered the same cruciate injury in the same knee was when I was at Stoke and I was out for six months then. But I remember when I did come back I felt so much stronger physically. I became a man throughout that.

"I am already feeling stronger now and probably the fittest shape I have ever been in my whole career. That's a big plus from all this."