Richard Foster takes parting shot at Dave King

Richard Foster in action for Rangers. Picture: TSPL

Foster was one of 11 players released by Rangers at the end of the season and the left-back was one of a trio of new signings announced by County.

Central defender Andrew Davies checked in after quitting Bradford City in a major coup for County, who immediately named the former Middlesborough and Southampton man captain.

And the 30-year-old Englishman was joined by 28-year-old Scot Chris Robertson, formerly of Preston and Port Vale, who will also bolster central defence.All three signed two-year deals.

But it was the arrival of Foster that created the biggest stir, with the Elgin-born 29-year-old vocal in his criticism of South Africa-based King.

Foster didn’t hide his distaste at his treatment by Rangers, having found out about his release in the media. And he laid into King for publicly passing judgment on players he had never seen play.

“I haven’t heard a thing from Rangers. There has been nothing,” Foster said. “I just thought there would be a common courtesy to say ‘Thanks for your service and all the best for the future’. But we’ve had nothing from the club. I don’t think any of the players who left got anything. I found out I was going by reading Dave King’s comments on the back of the newspaper.

“I read him say that none of us were good enough and that we weren’t getting a new contract. I don’t judge him on his business acumen and he’s never really seen me play, so he shouldn’t judge me on my football ability. Or any of us.

“Effectively, the 11 of us got blamed for the season last year but there were many different factors. If you look at the team from when Stuart McCall came in, the mainstays were the players who were going to be here this season.

“So to single out the players who left I felt was a bit harsh. He also did it in a way that we couldn’t really respond – except in the press. Did it leave a sour taste in the mouth? Yeah, a little bit. In my personal opinion, that’s not how you should run a business or a football club.

“If that’s the way he wants to do it, fair play to him. I don’t agree with it and never will. But that’s the way they have gone about it and good luck to him for this season.”