Can Ben Foster challenge England number one Joe Hart?

West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster announced his return to the England setup last week after a fresh plea from England boss Roy Hodgson to end his international sabbatical. The 29year-old could now be included in away World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Montenegro but is he going to be able to challenge Joe Hart for the number one jersey?

Foster’s return to the international stage follows his self-imposed exile last summer after he insisted he needed to spend international breaks resting with his family, to avoid the risk of niggling injuries that blighted earlier parts of his career returning.

The former Manchester United man admitted that Fabio Capello’s hardline Three Lions methods were one of the reasons for his international retirement two years ago after winning just five caps.

So with Joe Hart experiencing a rare dip in form this season, is the door half open for Foster to claim the coveted number one position? It will be a difficult task but I don’t see any reason why he can’t give the Manchester City keeper a run for his money. Both players can only benefit from one another with Hodgson being able to choose from a number of top class keepers which also includes the likes of Fraser Forster and Jack Butland.

The way in which Hodgson has refused to give up on Foster suggests that he is determined to give Hart a bit of a kick up the backside having held down a starting position for the past two or three years now. There has been a slight exaggeration over Hart’s dip in form this season. We already expect so much from a man who is still only 25 years of age with his best years still ahead of him.

Will Foster challenge Joe Hart for the number one spot then? Yes of course he will, he isn’t the type of player who is happy to just make up the numbers. There is no denying that Hart is still Roy Hodgson’s first choice keeper and there will be few that will argue against his decision.

However, what Foster will bring is an upgrade to England’s strength in depth. If Hart is unavailable for whatever reason, it is comforting to know that we have such an experienced and quality keeper such as Ben to fall back on.