Ryan Reynolds has praised Ben Foster's "generous" decision to retire just four games into Wrexham's EFL season.
Former Red Dragons goalkeeper Foster, surprised fans when he announced his retirement from football at the beginning of last season, after only playing four games in League Two for the Red Dragons.
Hollywood owners Reynolds and Rob McElhenney were keen for Foster to stay on at the club after helping them secure promotion from the National League, but he only lasted 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.
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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 favorite and beloved by both Reynolds and McElhenney when they clinched the title against Notts County.
However, the former Manchester United and England goalkeeper was honest with himself when he realized he was no longer up to par and decided to hang up his boots for the second time.
In the newly-released third season of 'Welcome to Wrexham', Reynolds revealed that he has an "immense amount of respect" for Foster and described his noble act as "generous", which later contributed to them securing back-to-back promotions and cementing their place 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."
The moment of clarity for Foster came during a home game against Swindon Town on August 19, 2023. After letting in four goals before halftime, with Wrexham trailing 4-1, Foster felt the end of his career approaching.
The game ended in a dramatic 5-5 draw, thanks to two last-minute goals, but for Foster, the realization was clear.
Walking off the pitch after what would be his final professional football match, Foster sensed the gravity of the moment. "Even though we'd drawn, the lads were quiet and they weren't happy because they knew something was wrong," he reflected on the documentary.
The team knew their performance hadn't hit the mark, but Foster was consumed by his own decision. "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."
Foster wrestled with how to break the news to his team: "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? '".
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"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."
The decision was a surprise at the time, but the club felt that Foster had made the right call. Wrexham advisor Shaun Harvey agreed that it was best for everyone involved that they split ways.
"From Ben's perspective, I think it was just the dawn of reality that he was getting older," Harvey added on the show. "To be honest, it was the right decision for Ben. And in reality, it was the right decision for Wrexham as well."
Foster's decision came in August, giving Wrexham enough time to find a replacement before the summer transfer window closed on September 1. The club went from seasoned experience to fresh, raw talent, signing Arsenal goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo on loan.
The 22 year old played 35 games for Wrexham in League Two last season, playing a key role in their promotion push and being named in the League Two Team of the Season.
Okonkwo kept 14 clean sheets and let in only 30 goals all season, ending the campaign with the second-best goals conceded per minute (107).
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