Forster's rise from Newcastle reject to England goalkeeper is a real tall story
Sunday lunch with Fraser Forster’s family must be a unique experience and not just because of the extra leg room required.There’s Brian, head of the table, head of the family and towering presence when he sits as a Crown Court judge in Newcastle. He’s 6ft 2in without the periwig while his wife, and mother of four gigantic sons, is just shy of 6ft.
Fraser, 25, appears to be on the verge of becoming England’s goalkeeper against Chile on Friday night.
Ready to go: Fraser Forster trains with England on Thursday and is expected to start in goal against Chile
Competition: Forster (right) faces a fight for England's No 1 jersey with Joe Hart (left) and John Ruddy (middle)
Looking on: Regular No 1 Hart watches Foster make a save but the Manchester City keeper will be on the bench on Friday
He is also one of two sons to stand at 6ft 7in, so if they tell you the ‘r’ is silent in their surname you’re unlikely to forget.
Forster’s performances for Celtic in the Champions League, and in particular against Barcelona, have proved impossible for Roy Hodgson to ignore. When the Spanish press followed a shock 2-1 defeat for Barcelona at Parkhead by branding the young English goalkeeper ‘the great wall’ any fears that he would be forgotten, playing north of the border, subsided.
Forster’s rise nevertheless remains unorthodox, and not just because he could be playing for England on Friday at Wembley having never made a single appearance in the Barclays Premier League.
High praise: The Spanish press referred to Forster as 'the great wall' after Celtic's Champions League win in November 2012
No way past: Forster has been in impressive form for Celtic since joining them permanently in the summer of 2012
The family were Newcastle season-ticket holders, but it was playing rugby, at the £3,500-a-term Royal Grammar School in the city, that Forster first shone as a sportsman. His size made him quite the back-row forward. He started playing for the local village football team in Stocksfield at 10, although not as their goalkeeper.
A spell at Newburn then followed, by this time as a keeper, before he caught the attention of the Wallsend Boys Club which boasts 65 professionals among its ex-players, including Alan Shearer, Peter Beardsley and Michael Carrick. No sooner had Forster made his second appearance for Wallsend than he was snapped up by the Newcastle academy.
He continued to juggle sporting ambitions with study, securing 10 GCSEs before entering the sixth form. Because of the demands on his time the school agreed to let him study for A-levels in economics and psychology over three years rather than two.
Imposing figure: Forster uses his 6ft 7in frame to keep Aberdeen out at Pittodrie
In six years at the city’s principal football club Forster made not a single first-team appearance, with Tim Krul seen as successor to Shay Given and Steve Harper.
It meant a succession of loan spells at Stockport, Bristol Rovers, Norwich and, initially, at Celtic.
But at every stage he proved a success, earning the players’ player award in his season at Carrow Road.
‘When we got him he clearly had talent but there was a lot of work to do on his technique,’ said Paul Barron, who coached him at Newcastle.
‘We had to start from scratch with him. But his response was fantastic. I remember him having a poor game at Benton, and this guy on the touchline giving him some stick; saying he was never going to be a goalkeeper. Well, I’d love to be able to speak to that guy now.’
Chosen one: Forster was forced to leave Newcastle when Tim Krul cemented his place as the club's first choice goalkeeper
Man in form: Forster keeps out Ajax's Lasse Shone in the Champions League last week
His performances for Stockport caught the eye of Paul Lambert, who moved quickly as Norwich manager at a time when Forster was about to extend his loan spell at Bristol Rovers.
He impressed at Norwich, helping Lambert’s side gain promotion to the Championship and a loan move to Celtic in 2010 followed.
After two seasons on loan, Celtic paid the best part of £2million for Forster and last summer they found themselves rejecting a £5m offer from Benfica.
There was also, it has been said, interest from the beaten Champions League finalists, Borussia Dortmund.
Perform well for England and more offers are sure to follow
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