Richard Foster (footballer)

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Ricky Foster
Personal information
Full nameRichard Martyn Foster
Date of birth (1985-07-31) 31 July 1985
Place of birthAberdeen, Scotland
Height1.76 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Playing positionRight Back
Club information
Current clubRangers
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2003–2012Aberdeen275(9)
2010–2011→ Rangers (loan)24(0)
2012–2013Bristol City51(0)
2013–Rangers12(0)
National team
2004–2006Scotland U213(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 03 January 2014 at 13:09.
† Appearances (Goals).

Richard Martyn "Ricky" Foster (born 31 July 1985 in Aberdeen, Scotland) is a Scottish footballer who currently plays as a right back for Scottish League One side Rangers.

Foster has spent most of his career playing as a right winger, but has more recently been deployed at both right and left full back. Foster is a versatile player, as goalkeeper is the only position in which he has never played.

Club career

Aberdeen

Foster made his debut for Aberdeen aged 17 on 10 May 2003 in a Scottish Premier League match against Partick Thistle, coming on as a substitute for Darren Mackie. He scored his first goal for the club almost exactly a year later during a 2–1 league win over Dundee on 15 May 2004.[1] Foster became a first team regular under Jimmy Calderwood and signed a two-year contract extension on 31 July 2007.[2]

Although naturally a right winger, Foster made significant progress by playing in the left back position during the 2007–08 season, impressing with his man-marking performances when Aberdeen's first-choice left back Richie Byrne was injured. On 20 September 2007, he made his European debut in the first leg of Aberdeen's UEFA Cup first round tie against Dnipro, coming on as a 72nd minute substitute for Jackie McNamara as the game ended 0–0.[3] Foster started at left back in the return match in Ukraine on 4 October and provided the assist for Darren Mackie's opening goal, sending in the cross for the striker to head home from close range. Despite Dnipro salvaging a 1–1 draw,[4] Aberdeen progressed to the group stages of the tournament on away goals. On 20 December, Foster scored the first European goal of his career in Aberdeen's 4–0 UEFA Cup group stage win over Copenhagen.[5] The result put the Dons through to the last 32, where they lost 7–3 on aggregate to Bayern Munich; drawing the first leg 2–2 at Pittodrie and losing 5–1 in the second leg at the Allianz Arena.[6][7]

In February 2009, Foster was involved in a training ground bust up with Calderwood which lead to him being omitted from the Aberdeen squad to face Dundee United on 21 February, after he called the then Dons manager "stupid".[8][9]

On Foster's return to Aberdeen, he was appointed as Paul Hartley's successor as Aberdeen captain for the 2011–12 season.[10]

Rangers (loan)

On 31 August 2010, Foster moved on a season-long loan to SPL champions Rangers, with Gers striker Andrius Velička moving in the opposite direction.[11] He was given the number 12 shirt[12] and made his Rangers debut on 11 September, coming on as a substitute for Kirk Broadfoot in a 2–1 victory over Hamilton Accies.[13] Foster made his first Rangers start on 20 October in a Champions League group stage match against Valencia at Ibrox, where he was selected as man of the match.[14]

Many of Foster's Rangers appearances came in the Champions League and Europa League. He played at right back in a 2–2 draw with Sporting Clube de Portugal in the second leg of the Europa League last 32, as Rangers won with the away goal rule coming into play. He was involved in an Old Firm match against Celtic on 2 March 2011, where the 1–0 defeat was overshadowed by scenes at the conclusion of the match.[15] Foster's European run continued in the last 16 first leg against PSV Eindhoven on 10 March, which ended 0–0.[16]

He finished the SPL season with a winner's medal, having made enough appearances to contribute to Rangers title success.

Bristol City

On 6 January 2012 he signed for Championship side Bristol City on a two and a half-year contract[17] for an undisclosed fee.[18]

Return to Rangers

On 25 June 2013 he re-signed for Scottish Second Division side and boyhood heroes Rangers on a two year contract[19]

On signing for the Third Division champions, Foster stated:

"As a footballer you want to win games and trophies and medals. If anything, my time away has just reassured me of how big Rangers are, You leave Scottish football and you meet Rangers fans in England and wherever you go and you hear they're getting 50,000 people at home games in the Third Division. Everything from Murray Park to the stadium just screams out that they're a massive club."[20]

International career

Foster was selected by the Scotland national under-21 football team.[21] He received his first call-up to the Scotland national football team squad in February 2012.[21]

Career statistics

As of 03 January 2014 at 13:10[22][23]
Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe/Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Aberdeen 2002–03 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
2003–04 18 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 21 1
2004–05 25 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 28 1
2005–06 25 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 28 1
2006–07 37 3 2 0 1 0 0 0 40 3
2007–08 33 1 5 0 3 0 7 1 48 2
2008–09 34 0 4 0 2 0 0 0 40 0
2009–10 37 0 2 0 1 0 2 0 42 0
2010–11 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
2011–12 22 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 24 1
Total 234 8 19 0 11 0 9 1 275 9
Rangers (loan) 2010–11 15 0 2 0 0 0 7 0 24 0
Total 15 0 2 0 0 0 7 0 24 0
Bristol City 2011-12 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 0
2012-13 30 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 31 0
Total 50 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 51 0
Rangers 2013–14 10 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 13 0
Total 10 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 13 0
Career total 309 8 22 0 11 0 19 1 363 9

Honours

Rangers

2011
Preceded by
Paul Hartley		 Aberdeen FC captain
2011–2012 		Succeeded by
Andrew Considine

References

  1. ↑ "Aberdeen 1–2 Dundee". BBC Sport. 15 May 2004. 
  2. ↑ "Foster agrees new Dons extension". BBC Sport. 31 July 2007. 
  3. ↑ "Aberdeen 0–0 Dnipro". BBC Sport. 20 September 2007. 
  4. ↑ "Dnipro 1–1 Aberdeen". BBC Sport. 4 October 2007. 
  5. ↑ "Aberdeen 4–0 Copenhagen". BBC Sport. 20 December 2007. 
  6. ↑ "Aberdeen 2–2 Bayern Munich" BBC Sport. 14 February 2008.
  7. ↑ "Bayern Munich 5–1 Aberdeen" BBC Sport. 21 February 2008.
  8. ↑ "Foster feud over says Calderwood" BBC Sport. 25 February 2009.
  9. ↑ "Aberdeen will play football the right way with Mark McGhee in charge" Daily Record. 30 July 2009.
  10. ↑ "Foster under fire after being handed captain's armband". Press and journal. 7 July 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2012. 
  11. ↑ "Aberdeen agree swap with Rangers for Velicka and Foster". BBC Sport. 31 August 2010. 
  12. ↑ "Rangers make deadline day bid for Aberdeen ace Richard Foster with Velicka offered in return". The Daily Record. 31 August 2010. 
  13. ↑ "Hamilton Accies 1–2 Rangers". BBC Sport. 11 September 2010. 
  14. ↑ "Rangers 1–1 Valencia". BBC Sport. 20 October 2010. 
  15. ↑ "Celtic 1–0 Rangers". BBC Sport. 2 March 2011. 
  16. ↑ "PSV Eindhoven 0 – 0 Rangers". BBC Sport. 10 March 2011. 
  17. ↑ "CITY SNAP UP DONS SKIP RICKY". Bristol City F.C. 6 January 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2012. 
  18. ↑ "Bristol City agree fee for Aberdeen captain Ricky Foster". BBC Sport. BBC. 6 January 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2012. 
  19. ↑ "Richard Foster agrees move to Rangers after Bristol City exit". BBC. 25 June 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2013. 
  20. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23050568
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Richard Foster wins call-up for Scotland". BBC Sport (BBC). 28 February 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012. 
  22. ↑ "Richard Foster Soccerbase Stats". Soccerbase. Retrieved 6 January 2012. 
  23. ↑ "Richard Foster Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved 6 January 2012. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/14056351

External links

Rangers F.C. – current squad
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