Ben Foster hated training with 'scary' Man Utd star who would 'dig you out'

Ben Foster has revealed he hated training with one player in particular during his time with Manchester United.

The former goalkeeper joined United in 2005 from Stoke City, and spent five years at Old Trafford.

He made 12 Premier League appearances under Sir Alex Ferguson, and was a regular in cup competitions after two separate loan spells with Watford.

He worked with some of the biggest stars in world football, such as Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and his own goalkeeping competitor, Edwin van der Sar.

Foster did state, though, that there one United icon who he found it difficult to train with - Nemanja Vidic.

Speaking on the Squeaky Bum Podcast in 2020, Foster explained that Vidic was 'a scary bloke' on the training pitch.

He explained: "Off the pitch, he was fairly quiet wasn't he, but on the pitch, in training, that guy was a scary bloke, honestly. Horrible.

"Honestly, he did not care. If we were playing a five-a-side or six-a-side or something, if you were on his team, I used to think, 'Please don't be on Nemanja's team, please don't'.

"Because if we didn't win, if I let a goal in that he thinks I should have done better with, he was letting you know. He would dig you out, and he was after everybody.

"Honestly, he was horrible in training, but off the pitch completely different."

In an interview with talkSPORT in 2022, Foster opened up on his time at United, stating that it was 'the wrong place at the wrong time for me'.

He added: "I was still too young for it, I didn't know how to deal with all that expectation - it was the biggest club in the world at the time."

The England international did add, though, that being at Old Trafford under Ferguson was 'an incredible experience' and set him up for his later successes with West Brom, Watford and the Three Lions.

Vidic's toughness on the pitch, meanwhile, helped him to win 15 trophies while at United, and establish himself as one of the best centre-backs in Premier League history.

It is an era that United fans are still dreaming about getting back to as they battle to secure European football for next season under Erik ten Hag.