The Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster has signed a new four-year contract at the club as he seeks to prove himself as Edwin van der Sar's successor in the No1 jersey. The new deal will mean Foster will remain at Old Trafford until at least June 2013.

"I'm really happy to commit my future to the club," he said. "The team spirit here is fantastic and working alongside Edwin and Tomasz [Kuszczak] has been a great influence on my career."

The club's manager Sir Alex Ferguson also highlighted Foster's potential, placing him ahead of Kuszczak in the queue to replace Van der Sar. "We are delighted that Ben has signed a new four-year deal," he said. "Ben is seen as one of the best young goalkeepers in England and we genuinely see him as a successor to Edwin van der Sar."