The general consensus, whether rightly or wrongly, is that footballers are all about the beautiful game. They devote their entire lives to the sport, training every morning, playing every weekend and even missing out on Christmas Day with their families is part of the job. Football is their passion and the be all and end all.
Not for Ben Foster, however, oh no. The Watford goalkeeper has been a professional for nearly 20 years but his hobbies go way beyond keeping the ball out of the net. Foster adores cycling. Whether it’s a bike ride in the fresh air or competing (and usually winning) in a simulator race, he loves nothing more than peddling as hard as he can, and he shares his love via his YouTube channel ‘The Cycling GK’.
With 12 videos uploaded in the last month, the former Manchester United goalkeeper already has 103,000 subscribers and it’s no surprise as the footage is packed with insight. His adoration for cycling comes across massively and it’s infectious and really makes you want to run out and bash some miles on the bike.
“It is Monday, it is my day off and what better to do on a day off than to go out on your bike…!” he exclaims in one video as he shares with us his ride at Cheddar Gorge, but just as in a football match it won’t always go to plan, as he suffers two punctures!
And if you’re not into your cycling, the videos are still well worth a watch as Foster also covers his career on the pitch, from what goes on during matchday to showing us how he prepares for his next away day as the Hornets look to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. Recommended.