Ben Foster, the Manchester United goalkeeper, is determined to claim the number one jersey for club and country after his injury nightmare.

Foster is close to returning to action having been sidelined with cruciate knee ligament damage since his two-season loan with Watford.

The 24-year-old is hoping to play for the reserve game within a fortnight before pushing for a place in the senior and international sides next season.

Foster said: "Being the England number one is a driving force. Definitely, that is a huge incentive. But you have to take one thing at a time. Getting in the team here at United is not going to be an easy thing to achieve in the first place.

“But hopefully if I can do that, an England chance might come along as well but it's not something I'm thinking too much at the moment.

"David James has earnt his place. He has been fantastic all season and deserves it. Some of the performances and some of the saves he has made this season have been out of this world.

"Of the other goalkeepers coming through, Joe Hart has done really well and Chris Kirkland and Scott Carson are there or thereabouts.”

Foster is determined to return to action as soon as possible but is not holding out much hope of a first-team return prior to the end of the season.

"The reserve game with Liverpool last night would have been ideal with a good crowd but it was thought to be a week too early.

"They held me back from that but I've been out for eight months so another two weeks isn't going to kill me.

"I've been in full training now for the last two months and I've just started back training with the first team, a bit of contact stuff, shooting and crossing and things like that. Generally, all is going well. The knee feels good. “

Foster admitted: "Everything seemed to go well last season. I felt on top of my game and I felt that nothing really was going to stand in my way.

"Then the injury comes along and it is a massive blow and you're out for a whole season.”

"Eight months is a long time and you lose parts of your game. You forget things, you really do. You lose your sharpness and general things like your handling and catching balls doesn't come back straight away.