Fraser Forster may not be the first name that comes to mind when football fans think of some of the best goalkeepers in the world. The Englishman was one of the finest shot-stoppers in his prime. The 35-year-old was snapped up by Tottenham last summer as a second fiddle to Hugo Lloris and has made a few appearances for the North London club.
Forster’s shot-stopping prowess impressed Lionel Messi in Barcelona’s Champions League encounter with Celtic in 2012, with the former Newcastle goalkeeper displaying “the best goalkeeper performance” Messi had ever seen, prompting the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner to call him “not human.”
Fraser Forster receives special recognition from Messi
Fraser Forster may be a second or third-choice goalkeeper at Tottenham Hotspur now, but it wasn’t always like that for the 35-year-old. Lionel Messi is always a nightmare for opposition defenders and goalkeepers because he always guarantees goals. 2012 was Messi’s best year as a footballer because he scored a record 91 goals, the most scored by any player in a calendar year. However, Fraser Forster managed to display a great performance against the then-Barcelona star in a Champions League match between Barcelona and Celtic.
In an old interview, Messi recalled his encounter with Forster in the Champions League. “The performances of Fraser Forster against us were talked about for a long time. There was one game in Scotland where he was not human; it is the best goalkeeping performance I have seen,” Messi confessed.
The World Cup winner even discussed the prospect of bringing the Englishman to Barcelona at some point after Valdes left the club. “When Victor Valdes said he was leaving, we even talked about him (Forster) playing here. I was sure he would end up at Arsenal, Chelsea, or Manchester United,” Messi added.
Messi’s prediction proved a fluke, as Forster never played for any of those clubs. Instead, he signed for Southampton in 2014, establishing himself under Ronald Koeman.
Fraser Forster’s current team
Following the expiration of his contract at Southampton in 2022, Forster was snapped up by Tottenham Hotspur as a backup goalkeeper for Hugo Lloris. He made some big appearances last season for Tottenham in the absence of Lloris and has managed to stay as the club’s backup goalkeeper despite the presence of Hugo Lloris in the team, who has been unable to claim his spot as a starter after seeing his captaincy stripped and given to Son Heung-min.
While having not realized Messi’s big expectations of him, Forster has the chance to lift a trophy with Tottenham, who have been more consistent than they’ve been in recent seasons under new manager Ange Postecoglou.
Will Fraser’s and Messi’s paths ever cross again?
