Luke Foster signs for Stevenage

I thought that the signing of Darius Charles would be it for our defensive signings, but Stevenage have announced this evening that former Oxford defender Luke Foster has signed for the club on a free transfer. Foster joins the Conference Champions after he was released by Mansfield last week due to comments he made on a popular social networking site. He was very highly rated while at Oxford, but can be quite prone to a mistake or two and in the end was allowed to leave the Kassam Stadium in January for the Stags, who paid £15k for his services.

Foster started his career at Sheffield Wednesday, but failed to break through to the first team at Hillsborough. After loan spells at Scarborough and Alfreton, Foster signed for Lincoln City where he spent 18 months before being allowed to join Stalybridge Celtic. Foster spent just over a month at Bower Fold before Oxford United snapped him up. His career didn’t start well at Oxford, with then manager Jim Smith criticising his lifestyle. However, Foster came good and won player of the year in 2008.

After a good season with the U’s, the former Sheffield Wednesday trainee was being linked with a return to the football league, but Oxford were able to keep hold of their talented defender. He signed a two year contract at the end of the 2007/2008 season, but was told half-way through the 2009/2010 campaign that this would not be renewed. A move to Cambridge was mooted, but in the end Foster moved back up north to Mansfield where he became Club Captain. After calling the club a “shambles” on Facebook, Foster was released from his contract a year early.

I’m not too sure about this signing. Firstly, I don’t see why GW has brought in another defender when we already have Roberts, Ashton, Charles and Henry that can play at centre back. That is assuming Mark Albrighton doesn’t extend his contract with the club. Secondly, Foster comes across as a bit of a troublemaker everywhere he’s been. He had problems with Jim Smith at Oxford and they got rid of him in January to Mansfield. He has also been allowed to leave Field Mill with a year still left on his contract.

“I wish to apologise to the manager, board, my fellow colleagues and the Mansfield supporters for any offence that may have been caused from an expression placed on a social networking website. It was not meant to be offensive and has been observed in the wrong manner.” Foster’s apology to the Mansfield supporters

It’s quite clear that he is a quality defender, but the reason he hasn’t made a move into the football league before now is because of his attitude. It will be interesting to see how he gets on with Westley. The last player that had an ‘ego’ under Westley was Elding and we all know how that relationship ended. Foster is going to have to do a lot to get past Roberts and Ashton, who were superb last season. It looks like Foster can also play in defensive midfield, so it’s possible that he may be being lined up as a replacement for the outgoing Michael Bostwick.

In other news, the club have also announced that Jimmy Gilligan is joining the club as Youth Coach. Gilligan has had similar spells at Watford and Milton Keynes Dons and now has the job of getting the Stevenage Centre of Excellence off the ground. Gilligan is from the Stevenage area and used to do some coaching at my old junior school back in the mid 90′s. He was a good coach then and his son, Ryan, now plays in the football league with Northampton. I think it’s a good move for Stevenage.