Wes Foderingham got his much-needed game time against third-tier outfit Stranraer in the Scottish Cup. The goalkeeper though didn’t have much to do as Stranraer failed even to have an attempt on goal. Foderingham was brought in as the first-choice goalkeeper at Ibrox, and he played a crucial role in getting Rangers to the top flight. However, after the arrival of Allan McGregor, the Englishman has struggled for game time.
Foderingham shares his frustration
Foderingham recently talked about his frustration and said that even scoring a hattrick against Stranraer wouldn’t have given him a first-team place in the next game. The 29-year-old said (Daily Record), ”It has been very frustrating for me. It’s difficult because Greegsy’s been playing so well. He hasn’t given me a chance to get back in there. When I’m picked, I do my best, and I work hard in training. That’s all I can really do. But he’s been very consistent.”
”Even against Stranraer, if I kept a clean sheet, scored a hat-trick and saved a few penalties, I still wouldn’t get a game next week. I’ve accepted that I could be playing elsewhere next season because my deal is up in the summer. It looks like I’ll be here until the end of the season at least and we’ll take it from there. The club knows my position, and we’ll have another discussion. But I want to play, so read into that what you will.”
It’s clear that Foderingham is unhappy with his game time but credit to him for acting as a thorough professional. The good thing is that Rangers are likely to keep him until the end of the season as revealed by the shot-stopper. The goalkeeper’s contract is set to expire, and we believe that he would move away from the club in the summer.
What now for Gerrard?
McGregor recently signed a year-long extension so he will likely continue to be the first choice. However, maybe Gerrard can offer a chance to Foderingham to stay by committing that he would be the first choice once McGregor returns. However, we believe that it is unlikely that Foderingham would stick around for another year and be an understudy.
Given his quality, the Englishman can play first-team football for quite a few clubs around the globe. Being a backup goalkeeper is often tough as there is only one spot up for grab. There is also a less chance of an injury to a goalkeeper, and the manager also doesn’t need to rest him from time to time during fixture congestion.
Hence, backup goalkeeper barely gets a chance to start. Foderingham also indicated that Gerrard would be happy to keep him if he is happy to stick around with the club beyond this season. However, after the Engish goalkeeper’s recent words, it seems like he would look to move on in the summer. Rangers will have to jump in the transfer market to bring in a replacement later.
