BEN FOSTER will continue playing for Wrexham next season after signing a new one-year contract.

The 40-year-old came out of retirement in March to join the Reds on a deal until the end of the campaign as a replacement for the injured Rob Lainton and he helped Phil Parkinson's men clinch the National League title and return to the Football League following a 15-year absence.

When he announced his retained list at the end of the record-breaking season, Parkinson said he wanted to hold talks with the former England international to establish if he intended to return to retirement or continue playing.

Foster, who started the final eight games after arriving at The Racecourse and kept three clean sheets, admitted he was unsure about his future but will now be with Wrexham in League Two until the end of the 2023/24 season.

Explaining the decision, Foster told the official club website: “At the end of last season it was obvious that I enjoyed being at the Club, I loved being part of the team and everything that Wrexham stands for.

“The fans took to me so warmly, Phil Parkinson is brilliant, Steve Parkin is top class, I love Aidan Davison to bits, and the Co-Chairmen are out of this world.

“I’d decided before the end of last season I wanted to do it, because it feels like home. I’ve never joined a football club and felt at ease so quickly.”

Parkinson added: “We’re delighted that Ben has signed for the coming season.

“It’s a key signing for us because we all saw the impact, he had not just on the pitch but also around the training ground, and we are all looking forward to working with him again next season.”

Foster had announced in September that he was hanging up his gloves but answered Parkinson's SOS call during the run-in.

He returned to The Racecourse 18 years after he last played for the club, on a loan spell from Stoke which included a starring role in the 2-0 LDV Vans Trophy Final victory against Southend United at the Millennium Stadium that earned him a move to Manchester United.

Spells with Watford (twice), Birmingham and West Brom followed and on his return to Wrexham, he played his part as the Reds clinched automatic promotion, with the highlight being a last-gasp penalty save to ensure the Reds won 3-2 against title rivals Notts County on Easter Monday.