If Burnley FC secures promotion this season, Lyle Foster could become the first South African to feature in the Premier League since Percy Tau.
Bafana Bafana striker inks lucrative deal with Burnley FC
Vincent Kompany’s January activity in the transfer market made headlines once again when his third recruit, the 22-year-old South African striker, was unveiled on Wednesday.
Foster, whose football story can be traced back to the dusty streets of Soweto, joined the English Championship league leaders on a four-and-a-half-year deal from Belgian side K.V.C. Westerlo, according to Swisher Foot.
While details around the deal remain under wraps, iDiski Times reporter Lorenz Köhler speculated that should Burnley secure promotion to the Premier League, Foster’s transfer could shoot up to £10 million (R212 million), smashing the current South African record held by former striker Benni McCarthy for his £6 million (R127 million) move from Ajax to Celta Vigo.
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Reacting to the epic move to Burnley, Foster said:
“I’m very happy to be here, I’m blessed and thankful for the opportunity and I just can’t wait to get started. From the moment I heard that there was interest from Burnley, my heart and my head were set on the club. I’m so happy to be here now. It’s a dream for me.”
Five things to know about Lyle Foster
As the South African football world celebrates Foster’s transfer to Burnley, here are five things to know about the Bafana Bafana export:
He was born in Soweto
Lyle Brent Foster was born on 3 September 2000 in Noordgesig, Soweto, a township situated at the northernmost boundary.
He started his football career at this PSL club
Foster’s football career was nurtured at Orlando Pirates’ academy. The attacker quickly rose through the ranks and earned 11 first-team appearances.
His first international transfer was to Ligue 1
Foster’s promising performance at the Buccaneers attracted the attention of European scouts. In January 2019, the attacker was signed by Ligue 1 side AS Monaco for an undisclosed fee.
He has played in these European leagues
Since joining AS Monaco, Foster has played for:
- Cercle Brugge (Belgian Pro League);
- Vitoria SC (Primeira Liga – Portugal);
- K.V.C. Westerlo (Belgian Pro League); and
- Burnley FC (English Championship)
Here’s how many goals he’s scored in his career so far
According to his Wikipedia page, Foster has, since the start of his professional career in 2017, score a total of 17 career goals in 102 games.
