If you ask any football supporter to name iconic Premier League goalkeepers of the 21st century, many would name Shay Given and David James – including West Ham United’s new stopper Wes Foderingham.
A calm, composed character, Given was a reassuring presence between the sticks for club and country for two decades, starring for Newcastle United and Manchester City and earning 134 caps for the Republic of Ireland, along with numerous individual accolades.
James may have been slightly less predictable, but showed admirable resolve to bounce back from high-profile mistakes to make 572 Premier League appearances – including 64 for West Ham – and win 53 England caps and travel to three FIFA World Cup finals.
For a young Foderingham, a promising nine-year-old goalkeeper who joined Fulham in 2000, Given and James were two glovemen he grew up eager to emulate and, two decades on, he has followed both into the Premier League.
“I grew up in London but my goalkeeping hero was Shay Given,” he confirmed. “He was someone that I always looked up to, as he was cool and made the big saves.
“David James as well, because at the time he was England goalkeeper, so I'll say those two were my idols.
“David James showed resilience, even when he made mistakes. You don’t amass that amount of Premier League appearances and caps for England without the resilience and mental strength to come back, so that’s probably why I took to him.”
Resilience and mental strength are qualities Foderingham himself has demonstrated repeatedly throughout his career.
After being released by Fulham at the age of 18, the Hammersmith-born stopper earned a contract with Crystal Palace after impressing against the Eagles while playing a pre-season match for non-league Bromley.
At 21, he dropped down two divisions to join Swindon Town. The transfer kickstarted his career as Foderingham won the EFL League Two title and Golden Glove honours under Paolo Di Canio, before being named in the PFA League One Team of the Season in 2012/13.
In 2015, he moved to Scottish giants Rangers, where he won a Championship and Challenge Cup double in his first season at Ibrox. Foderingham then lost his place under Steven Gerrard, but bounced back impressively again after joining Sheffield United and winning promotion from the EFL Championship in 2022/23.
Returning to the Premier League after 13 years away did not daunt the Londoner, who gave his all as the Blades ultimately saw their season end in relegation. Despite that disappointment, Foderingham has no regrets whatsoever.
“As much as it was a difficult season, ultimately I wanted to play in the Premier League, so it's one of those things,” he explained.
“I think I built up my resilience quite early in my career, having come from a club like Rangers where their fanbase is very demanding and you find out quite quickly that you need to have a thick skin and to be resilient.
“So, I think I was set up perfectly to have that season last year in the Premier League whereby, when things didn't go right or things were going against us or we were losing games, to go out there and believe in your quality, believe in your ability and to be able to do your job to the best of your ability.”
