Rangers star Richard Foster hits back at trolls over Twitter attack on family

Richard Foster accepts stick for not playing well but he’ll never tolerate abuse for being a dad.

The Rangers full-back became embroiled in a war of words with online fans, after they used his twitter feed to have a pop at him for taking his three-year-old son, Oliver, to the carnival.

It came on the back of last weekend’s humiliating 4-0 defeat at the hands of Hibs. But Foster insists the criticism for having a family day out was out of line.

“The game was on December 27, and I took my little boy to the carnival on the 28th,” explained Foster.

“I got home to a few lovely tweets, basically saying I shouldn’t be going to the carnival. That, for me, goes a little bit too far.

“I can take criticism of my performance but when I’m having a bit of family time, that’s my own time.

“I didn’t see my son over Christmas due to my own personal situation, so that was the first chance I got to see him. I was vilified for it, which I don’t like.

“But if that’s the way the fans want to vent their frustration, that’s just something I’m going to have to deal with.

“It was done through social media, not through somebody actually speaking to me.

“If they came up and said it to my face, I would have been able to explain that this is the time I’ve got with my son over Christmas.

“I’m sure if I said to them that they weren’t allowed to see their sons or take their child to the carnival, they wouldn’t have liked that.

“That’s the hardest aspect, and it makes you not want to do anything.

“I had my little boy down for a few days and I wanted to maximise my time with him, and take him to where he would have fun. It’s just sad really.

“Criticise me or criticise my performance. Everyone does because that’s the nature of playing football, especially with a club like Rangers.

“But don’t have a go at me for spending time with my family. When I get abuse for taking my son to a carnival, that isn’t acceptable.

“What do they want me to do? Just sit inside the house or live in a shed until the next game?

“It’s horrible to take. Sometimes the fans think that we don’t care, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Forster is one of a dozen players who are out of contract at the end of the season, but he insists none of them have a right to go looking for a new deal at present.

The defender is honest enough to concede his performances have been well below standard, and he wants to find form again before he approaches the club about extending his stay.

He said: “I’m one of the 12 who are out of contract, but at the moment I’ve got no right to say to anyone I want a new contract.

“I do want to stay here beyond the end of the season, but personally and collectively we haven’t played well enough for me to be demanding anything.

“Once we get it right on the pitch once I feel I’m playing well and getting it right then I can go in and discuss my future.

“But the manager has changed, and we are not playing well enough for any of us to go in and demand a new contract.”