Forster: Chelsea rumours a compliment

Southampton and England goalkeeper Fraser Forster says he is flattered to be linked with Chelsea amid a fine season at St Mary’s Stadium. 

After suffering a serious knee injury against Burnley in March 2015, the ex-Celtic and Norwich City player spent over nine months on the sidelines.

On his return to the Southampton first team Forster has kept six clean sheets in the Premier League, earning him an international recall and seeing him linked with a potential move to Stamford Bridge.

“I think it is a compliment in many ways because if you are being linked with teams then you are obviously doing the right things,” he said when asked about the Chelsea link.

“[But] I have two years left on my contract at Southampton and I have loved my time here. I can’t thank the club enough for the way they have stood by me when I was injured.”

Forster remains second choice for England, though, with Joe Hart established as number one, but the 28-year-old intends to push for a starting spot at Euro 2016.

He added: “I’m just concentrating on my day-to-day business here at the club and then hopefully I can have a good summer with England. 

“Everybody knows that Joe is the number one and he deserves that. He is a top keeper, but that’s the challenge for the rest of us, to push him as hard as we can and try and put pressure on him.”