Former Man Utd star admits regret after turning down I'm A Celeb offer

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Former Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster has disclosed how he once rejected the chance to feature on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here . The keeper made 23 outings for United during a five-year period after arriving from Stoke City in 2005.

Foster predominantly served as backup to Edwin van der Sar and Tomasz Kuszczak throughout his Old Trafford tenure under Sir Alex Ferguson . He subsequently racked up 390 Premier League matches across his career, turning out for clubs including Watford and West Bromwich Albion .

The 42-year-old initially hung up his gloves in September 2022, following the expiry of his Watford deal. It was during this period that he received an approach to take part in the popular reality programme on ITV .

Foster revealed to talkSPORT that he declined the opportunity to venture into the Australian jungle due to worries about excessive public exposure. However, he has suggested he feels regretful about the choice after insisting he would excel as a contestant.

"I was offered it a couple of years ago, actually, when I first retired," Foster told talkSPORT presenter Jeff Stelling . "I think that level of fame, though it's not for me. That's a different level of fame.

"In sport , if you walk down the street, you'll get a few people who will say hello or whatever. But this opens you up to the other side of fame, with the people that watch telly at night.

"I was thinking, 'that's not for me' but I'd have enjoyed it, though. I watch it sometimes and think 'I could do this.' I'd be all over that survival stuff. I can start fires and I can cook."

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Had Foster accepted, he would have joined numerous former footballers who have appeared on the programme, including Ian Wright, Dennis Wise and Wayne Bridge. Just two ex-professionals have ever claimed victory in the series, with Harry Redknapp and former Manchester City Women star Jill Scott both securing the jungle crown.

Foster's regret over declining the opportunity comes as little shock considering the path his career has followed recently. He temporarily returned from retirement in March 2023 to assist Wrexham in securing the National League title .

He featured heavily in the Welcome to Wrexham documentary, chronicling the club's ascent under Hollywood proprietors Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac. The former England goalkeeper also presents his own football podcast titled 'Fozcast'.

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Foster has spoken candidly about his taste of fame at Wrexham after disclosing how Canadian actor Reynolds once presented him with a special present in return for his shirt He revealed the exchange occurred following the Welsh club's promotion from the fifth tier courtesy of a 3-1 home victory against Boreham Wood.

Speaking in 2023, Foster recalled: "Ryan Reynolds, he text me on the morning of the game to say, 'Can I have your shirt'. I was like, 'Yeah, cool'. He was like, 'Cool, because I've got something for you as well'. I was like, 'OK? What on earth's this?'

"So, anyway, he text me yesterday and said, 'I forgot to tell you what it is. I was going through my memorabilia the other day of Deadpool and I found the original gloves that I wore in the film.'".

"He said, 'I gave one of the gloves to a guy with terminal cancer the other day, but the other one I want to give to you...because I see you give your gloves away all the time and you never get anything back in return'. I was like, 'Mate, I am buzzing so much for this.'".