(Photo by Dom Le Roy via Pexels)
By Nathan Pynn
Premier League clubs will cash in on hated hydration breaks because there's too much money to ignore, according to former England keeper Ben Foster.
The ex-West Brom star believes the controversial stoppages are heading for English football and says he is "100 percent" certain they will eventually be introduced.
The three-minute hydration breaks, which took place in every half of World Cup matches, proved hugely unpopular with fans and players who claimed they disrupted the flow of the game.
But Foster reckons the promise of extra TV cash will be impossible for clubs to resist.
Former England goalkeeper Ben Foster. (SWNS)
Speaking on talkSPORT, the 43-year-old warned the water breaks could soon "creep" into the Premier League.
He told Drive host Andy Goldstein: "It's quarters now. It wouldn't surprise me if this crept into the Premier League, it really wouldn't."
When Goldstein said he would be shocked to see them adopted in the top flight, Foster replied: "Where's there's money to be made, they will find a way.
"They'll justify it, they'll find a way I guarantee."
Foster, who made more than 500 appearances and won eight caps for England, insisted he was "100 percent" sure hydration breaks will be coming to the English game.
He said: "There's not a lot you can do about it.
"They introduced VAR and every single one of us VAR. I could do away with VAR tomorrow but they won't now because they've invested so much money into it."
Goldstein told the former England international he was the "only person I've spoken to" who thinks hydration breaks will make their way into the Premier League.
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But Foster stood firm, stressing he was not a fan of the idea despite believing clubs would jump at the chance to earn more cash.
He said: "I don't want it to. I could see them doing a soft launch in the Champions League and then people say hang one a minute we're getting an extra million quid? I want some of that."
While Goldstein admitted he could see the breaks arriving in the Champions League, he questioned whether Premier League clubs would really be swayed by the extra revenue.
Foster replied: "Without doubt they will," he said.
He also claimed the changes would alter the way managers approach games.
He said: "Now it's quarters so teams are approaching games differently.
"So you can break it down into the four parts and you can say right this part we're going to do that and then maybe sit back and save our legs and go again in this part here."
Despite predicting a more American-style future for football, Foster made his own feelings crystal clear.
"I hate it, I absolutely hate it," he stormed.
His warning comes after U.S. sports channels pocketed an additional $250 million (£188 million) from extra commercials shown during water breaks.