Foster Feels Part Of The Team

Ben Foster admitted it was a “fantastic” feeling to finally make his first-team debut in the narrow 1-0 victory at Derby.

The goalkeeper was thrust into action at Pride Park due to the enforced absence of Edwin van der Sar and Tomasz Kuszczak, just a week after returning from an eight-month injury lay-off himself.

The 24-year-old, who joined the Reds in 2005 but spent the last two seasons on loan at Watford, told MUTV: “I finally feel like a United player now!

“I’ve been here nearly three years and it’s good to finally get on the pitch for the first team in a competitive game.

“I’m not one for nerves – I just take things in my stride and try not to think about things too much. It’s a big thing to come back from injury and to be thrown straight into the first team, but I thoroughly enjoyed it – though it was a bit harder than I thought!”

Many pundits predicted a cakewalk for United against rock-bottom Derby, but the Reds spurned chance after chance and would have fallen behind in the first half had Foster not made two fine saves from Kenny Miller.