- Foster wants to create a legacy at Burnley
- Bafana striker inspired by McCarthy & Radebe
- 22-year-old is South Africa’s most expensive player
WHAT HAPPENED? Foster revealed how grateful he is to be playing for Burnley and wants to emulate compatriots Benni McCarthy and Lucas Radebe who enjoyed cult-status during their time in England.
The 22-year-old became the most expensive player in South African history after joining Vincent Kompany’s side for €7 million from Belgium Pro League club Westerlo and while he has not been heavily utilised, he is keen to become a regular and build a legacy at Turf More.
Foster, who scored his first goal for Burnley on March 12, has made 11 appearances for Burnley although only two have been starts, the FA Cup ties against Ipswich and Fleetwood.
He is, however, inspired by what Radebe deed at Leeds United, when he became a crowd favourite with his impressive performances in defence between 1994 and 2005, going on to captain the side, as well as McCarthy’s record at Blackburn Rovers, where he was a revered striker in his four years at Ewood Park.
WHAT DID HE SAY? "Yes, definitely I want to create some sort of legacy,” Foster told the media as quoted by SABC.“I want to leave something behind and I think that only works if you work hard and if you are committed.
“I think that's what Lucas [Radebe] was over the years and even Benni [McCarthy] is spoken very highly about in the UK. Steven Pienaar, Quinton Fortune, Aaron Mokoena, these guys have set the bar for players like us who followed them.
"I'm still pinching myself. I'm just very happy at the moment, very grateful for everything that's happening in my life.
“I can speak for hours about how grateful I am but I have to shift my focus now to the game on Friday [against Liberia] and Tuesday. I'm very excited to be back home and very happy to be back with the national team as well.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Foster will have to first convince Kompany to turn him into a starter at Burnley next season when they will be playing in the Premier League.
As a striker, goals will be key to regular football and he has a chance to achieve his desires if he scores quite often and help the Lancashire side maintain their Premier League status in 2023-24.
WHAT’S MORE? Foster also explained how his price tag is not weighing heavily on him as he focuses on breaking records for his club and national team.
"Being South Africa's most expensive player, I try not to think about it too much to be honest. I just want to play football and enjoy it,” he added.
“Happy to be in the UK, hopefully, I can have a long and fruitful career there, just continue working hard and try my best. I want to cement myself as a leading striker in South Africa.”
WHAT’S NEXT? Foster has linked up with the Bafana Bafana squad for their 2023 Afcon qualifier against Liberia on Friday.