Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney were excited for Foster to continue with the club after helping them secure promotion from the National League. However, his stint with the club lasted only 360 minutes. Wrexham had a shaky start to their first season in the Football League in over 15 years, with Foster conceding 14 goals in just 360 minutes of play.
The then-40 year old had originally come out of retirement to assist Wrexham’s bid for the National League title, becoming a fan favorite and garnering admiration from Reynolds and McElhenney when they clinched the title against Notts County. Foster’s “immense amount of respect” and “generous” act, as mentioned by Reynolds, contributed to Wrexham securing back-to-back promotions and solidifying their place in League One. Despite a stunning turnaround in a match that saw Wrexham secure a 5-5 draw, Foster realized that his time was up.
He knew when he walked off the pitch that it would be the last time he would play in a professional football match. Foster made the unexpected decision to retire in August, which gave Wrexham time to find a replacement before the end of the summer transfer window. Wrexham advisor Shaun Harvey agreed that Foster’s decision suited all parties and was the right move for both Foster and the club.
The decision led to the club sourcing a replacement, a 22-year-old player who had made 35 appearances for Wrexham in League Two last season and played a major role in their promotion charge.
