Former Wrexham and Premier League goalkeeper Ben Foster surprised young players at Brickfield Rangers FC by cooking up healthy post-training spinach and banana pancakes alongside M&S Senior Nutritionist Sophia Thistlethwaite, before testing his goalkeeping skills against them in a penalty shootout.
Ben, who spent the 2022/23 season with Wrexham, visited the club as part of M&S Food’s Eat Well, Play Well: Grassroots Edition campaign, which helps grassroots clubs across the UK improve their nutrition through club and family friendly recipes.
While trying to kick off his football career, a teenage Ben Foster trained to be a cook, working as a chef up until he signed his first professional contract, with Stoke City, in 2001. That mix of football and food is exactly the combination M&S Food is using to help the nation eat better.
Ben said: “I love coming back to Wrexham – there’s always an energy and life for football here. Clubs like Brickfield Rangers are the epitome of grassroots football, and it’s the volunteers who give up their time that help the next generation of players come through.”
On the campaign, Ben highlighted how M&S makes healthy eating easier for busy families, offering “easy to follow recipes that are affordable, helping people who don’t have time to make complex meals.”
Sophia said: “Food plays an important role around training, and it was great to show the players how nutritious ingredients can be turned into something they can enjoy after being on the pitch.”
Volunteer coach Dave Murray, who dedicates around 50 hours a week to the club, said his commitment is shared by the whole volunteer team, many of whom have given their time for as long as they can remember. Explaining why, he said simply: “We do it because we love being here.”
Founded in 1976, Brickfield Rangers is run entirely by volunteers and supports more than 400 young players across 37 teams, from Under 4s to Under 18s. Brickfield play in the Wrexham Youth League at the Court Road playing fields, also known as the ‘Brickie’.
The visit comes as M&S Food research reveals a gap in nutrition support in grassroots football. A survey of more than 200 grassroots coaches found only around one in seven (15%) feel confident advising players or parents on nutrition, while almost a third (31%) would welcome nutrition training.
M&S Food is now developing practical, affordable recipe ideas for clubs, helping coaches and volunteers introduce healthier approaches on a weekly basis, with recipes available to download from the M&S website.
The Eat Well, Play Well: Grassroots Edition campaign will continue to roll out in partnership with grassroots clubs over the coming months, with a content series showcasing stories from selected clubs across the UK to help parents and coaches make healthier choices. The series will be hosted weekly across M&S social channels, including YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, and all episodes can be watched at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8IUBwkCs0U&list=PLUNCTBzkoj74&index=1.
To find out more about the campaign, visit https://www.marksandspencer.com/food/content/eat-well-grassroots-edition
