Ryan Reynolds blown away by former Man Utd star's shock Wrexham announcement

Ryan Reynolds was in awe of "generous" Ben Foster for his decision to retire just four games into Wrexham's EFL season. The former Wrexham goalkeeper left fans in shock when he announced his retirement from football at the start of last season, having only played four matches in League Two for the Red Dragons.

Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney were keen for Foster to stay on at the club after helping them secure promotion from the National League, but his stint lasted a mere 360 minutes. Wrexham had a shaky start to their first season in the Football League in over 15 years, with Foster letting in 14 goals in just 360 minutes of play.

The then-40 year old had initially come out of retirement to aid Wrexham's push for the National League title, and quickly became a fan favourite and won the admiration of both Reynolds and McElhenney when they clinched the title against Notts County. However, the former Manchester United and England goalkeeper was honest with himself about no longer being up to scratch, and chose to hang up his boots for a second time.

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In the newly-released third season of Welcome to Wrexham, Reynolds revealed his "immense amount of respect" for Foster, describing his selfless act as "generous", which ultimately helped them achieve consecutive promotions and secure their spot in League One. "I thought it was generous. Like, it was an incredibly generous thing to do," Reynolds said in the second episode.

"So few people know when to call it, you know. I have an immense amount of respect for Ben and who he is as a player and a person. He's a huge reason we're here in the EFL.", reports the Mirror.

The moment of realisation for Foster came during the home game against Swindon Town on August 19, 2023, where after letting in four goals in the first half and Wrexham trailing 4-1 at the interval, the team managed a dramatic comeback to secure a 5-5 draw with two injury-time goals. Despite the euphoria of the comeback, Foster recognised that his time between the posts had come to an end.

Although the match ended in a draw, which felt like a victory for Wrexham, Foster was acutely aware as he left the pitch that it marked the end of his professional playing days. "Even though we'd drawn, the lads were quiet and they weren't happy because they knew something was wrong," Foster reflected during an episode of Welcome to Wrexham.

"They knew that the performance wasn't what it should be. And this might sound selfish but I was thinking just about my own circumstance at that moment in time. Because, I knew enough was enough, and I knew I was done."

"And I was thinking about how to tell the manager, how to tell the coaching staff. And I was just thinking 'What shall I do? Shall I do it now? Shall I ring somebody tomorrow? Shall I tell them on Monday? '".

"I thought, 'No, I'm just gonna go tell them.' Went into the coaches room and I said, 'That's me done lads. That's me done. I'm letting you down. I'm not up to speed. I'm not what I thought I am. And I don't want to keep letting you down.'".

While this revelation might have come as a shock back then, it eventually emerged that Foster had made the right call. Wrexham chief Shaun Harvey expressed his agreement with this decision, believing that it worked out best for all parties involved.

"From Ben's perspective, I think it was just the dawn of reality that he was getting older," Harvey voiced during a show discussion. "To be honest, it was the right decision for Ben. And in reality, it was the right decision for Wrexham as well."

Given that Foster's resolution emerged in August, it provided Wrexham ample time to scout for a new keeper before summer's transfer window shuttered on September 1. The club switched from an experienced candidate to a young, fiery prospect - signing Arsenal's Arthur Okonkwo on a loan deal.

Last season saw the budding 22 year old mark 35 appearances for Wrexham in League Two. His contribution turned crucial in propelling their promotion campaign.

The youngster boasts 14 clean sheets and a record of only 30 goals let-in all-season, placing him second among the ranks with the least goals conceded per minute (107).