SIR Alex Ferguson has assured Carling Cup hero Ben Foster his time will come as Manchester United’s No1.

Foster played a man-of-the-match role in ensuring United’s bid for an unprecedented quintuple remains on track.

He made a crucial save to deny Jamie O’Hara in a 4-1 penalty shoot-out triumph over Tottenham at Wembley.

The 25-year-old knows he will be dropped in favour of Edwin van der Sar for Wednesday’s Premier League trip to Newcastle

But Ferguson, right, has been quick to assure Foster he is in line to replace the Dutchman in the long run.

“The future is his,” said Ferguson.

“The present belongs to Edwin van der Sar, that’s obvious.

“But, given that experience in a final, it strengthens my belief Ben will be England’s goalkeeper for the next number of years.

“He is a very strong character. “He has to be, to have come through two cruciate injuries.”

Foster certainly showed he is prepared to try anything in the pursuit of success.

The keeper spent the precious minutes between the end of extra-time and the start of the penalty shoot-out staring at an iPod with goalkeeping coach Eric Steele to work out what techniques the Spurs players were likely to use.

“We did a lot of research into the way each player is going to put their penalty, he said.

“We went into the shoot-out as well prepared as possible.”

As well as Foster’s save from O’Hara, David Bentley missed in the shootout for Spurs.

The closest United came to scoring in normal time was when Cristiano Ronaldo struck an upright, but the game ended goal-less.