A brush with Di Canio.
New Rangers goalkeeper views flare-up with ex-manager as ‘character building’
THE internet is likely to be the first port of call for Rangers fans on a factfinding mission regarding their latest acquisition. If they type “Wes Foderingham” into Google and click “videos”, they will be presented with the lowlights and the highlights.
The second clip will tell them far more about the 24-year-old who has just agreed a three-year contract with the club, but it is the first that Foderingham is most famous for.
It shows the goalkeeper marching off the field, exchanging words with Paulo di Canio, his manager at Swindon Town at the time, kicking a water bottle in anger and then storming down the touchline.
The incident, which occurred just 21 minutes into a match with Preston North End three years ago, is one of many flashpoints in Di Canio’s controversial and colourful managerial career. It is also a moment from which Foderingham has learned and moved on, but one that will only be forgotten about if he can produce more of the content which makes it into the other search result, the one entitled “best saves”. This collection of clips shows Foderingham at his most impressive, the sequence giving an insight into why Mark Warburton was so keen for him to swap the County Ground for Ibrox this summer.
The keeper is the third signing of the Warburton era and he hopes the lessons from his past will allow him to become a key part of Rangers’ future.
“At the time, it’s tough to take,” Foderingham said. “When you make a mistake, you are angry and the reaction probably comes more from the mistake.
“That would have been the first situation where I had been in that environment. I had made such a mistake and everyone was shouting at me. It was an accumulation of emotions and things happen.
“I’ve seen the YouTube clip too many times. It happens, it’s one of these things. I’m an emotional guy and I wouldn’t like to look back and say it was a mistake. It’s character building and these things help you develop your game.
“If you are not put into those situations, you don’t know how you are going to react to them. It’s better you get them out early in your career rather than later on.
“Rangers is a massive club and there will be a lot of spotlight and attention on me, so my past experiences will help me and stand me in good stead.”
At 24 and with considerable league experience behind him, Foderingham appears to fit the Warburton identikit of players he will look to recruit this summer. With Danny Wilson and Rob Kiernan already on board, the muchmaligned Rangers defensive unit of last season has been given a swift and much-needed makeover.
With Steve Simonsen and Lee Robinson off the books, Foderingham and Cammy Bell will contend for the No.1 jersey in the coming weeks, but the latest man through the door at Ibrox is taking nothing for granted.
“The manager told me this was a great opportunity for myself to showcase my ability and to develop as a goalkeeper as well,” Foderingham said.
“When you come to any club, there is going to be competition. There isn’t just going to be one goalkeeper in the squad. It’s down to whichever goalkeeper is training better and is in better form. That goalkeeper will play. I’m sure it’s no different here than anywhere else.
“I said all summer that I wanted to make a decision based on football and to go to a club where I was going to play and progress.
“If I didn’t feel I had the capability to play here, I wouldn’t be here. I’m delighted to be here. I’m going to work hard in training and hopefully I can get selected.”
Having already done enough to convince Warburton he is worth signing, Foderingham must now prove he is capable of being Rangers’ firstchoice keeper next season. Both men will have to win over supporters as quickly as possible this term, but the keeper has no doubt his manager will quickly impress.
“He’s a genuine guy and he did a fantastic job at Brentford,” Foderingham said. “I don’t think too many people knew his management capabilities at the time, but he did fantastically well and got Brentford into the play-offs against the odds.
“They were a young, hungry, exciting side who liked to play football and he’s aiming to do the same and bring the same ethos here.
“He’s aiming high to get out of this division at the first time of asking, then compete in the Premiership and then into the Champions League. That’s the three-year plan, that’s the aim.”