Played With Cristiano Ronaldo, Ben Foster Crowns Wrexham Star as the ‘Hardest Working Player’ He Has Ever Seen

Mention fitness freak and you’ve already painted a picture of Cristiano Ronaldo hitting the gym. The secret to the Portuguese superstar’s ability to remain at the pinnacle of his game, even as he approaches 40, lies in his dedication to fitness. But CR7 might not have heard of Wrexham star James McClean, who has even left his former Manchester United teammate, Ben Foster, in awe, prompting the Premier League icon to hail him as an ‘absolute animal.’

The revelation was made by the former England international on the latest episode of his podcast, ‘Fozcast’, hosted alongside co-host Tom Ochoa. “I think James McClean is the hardest-working player I have come across in my life,” said Foster. He then narrated that on McClean’s first day at the office, he came to the gym early as usual than other Wrexham stars. However, as Foster opened the door, he could hear none other than the Irishman on one of the machines that the former goalkeeper backed it as the ‘most brutal thing in the world.’ 

“He’s on this machine, sweating his tee off, and I’m just like, ‘right mate,’ and he just looks at me and says, ‘Not now, I’m dying alright, I’m dying.’ He carries and then stands on another machine; he’s doing like a circuit [training]. This is 8 in the morning, and I’m like, ‘You’re an absolute animal.’ He was like this every day,” narrated Foster. 

Notably, Foster didn’t get enough time to spend with McClean, who arrived at the Welsh club in the summer of 2023 from Wigan, as just days later, the former West Bromwich goalkeeper again announced his retirement. While Foster was amazed by McClean’s fitness, the iconic goalkeeper managed to startle Ryan Reynolds by becoming a soccer player.

Wrexham owner Ryan Reynolds was puzzled about how Ben Foster became a professional athlete 

During an episode of the ‘Yours Mine Away Podcast,’ hosted by current Wrexham goalkeeper Mark Howard, Ryan Reynolds was asked to discuss his experiences with Red Dragons goalkeepers. When the topic of Foster arose, the actor exclaimed, “Love him. Oh my God, what a maniac, too. Just an absolute beast. I don’t understand how he ended up a professional athlete though. He just seems like he should only be on TV 24/7.” 

The Deadpool actor humorously speculated that Foster must sleep in a full sprint with his eyes wide open. Reynolds marveled at Foster’s habit of documenting all matches via his GoPro, expressing admiration for his fearless approach, even in the face of failure. Likewise, Reynolds appreciated Foster’s commitment to documenting more losses than victories for the team. 

While Reynolds’ concern remains about Foster becoming a soccer player, astonishment lingers over the former goalkeeper praising James McClean’s fitness more than Cristiano Ronaldo’s. We’d certainly like to hear your take on this.