David Forrester retires from international hockey

David Forrester has announced his retirement from international hockey with 60 caps to his name. Amongst various achievement the Scotland goalkeeper played at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, won gold at EuroHockey Championship II in 2017, and was a big part of the Scotland men’s squad for ten years.

On his retirement, Forrester said, “Competing for Scotland for the last decade or so has been an immense honour but I am simply not able to commit fully to the programme like I could in the past. I am only recently married and work commitments mean I am not able to dedicate the time that is required. I am not the sort of person that approaches things in a half-hearted manner – that would not be fair to the squad, the coaches or the programme. I’ve always prided myself on commitment and I don’t want to disrespect the programme by not being 100%.”

David’s Scotland debut came in 2013 in a 3-1 victory against Wales during a test series at Peffermill. He was then involved with the squad in the build-up to the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014. His first major tournament came in 2016, on home turf, as the Glasgow National Hockey Centre set the scene for World League 1. Aside from narrowly losing the final to Wales, it was a dominant tournament for the Blue Sticks and the beginning of what would be a very successful period for the squad.

Belfast was the scene for one of David’s greatest moments in a Scotland shirt where, at, World League round 2, he made multiple crucial saves in a shoutout competition that saw Scotland qualify for the World League Semi-Finals in London and meet the qualifying standard for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

“It was one of the highlights of my career. Note only playing such an important role in the result but also being able to celebrate these achievements with such a close-knit team.”

In London, the Blue Sticks were drawn in a pool with the Netherlands, India, Canada, and Pakistan before playing Korea in the crossover match. “World League round 3 in London was an incredible experience”, said Forrester, “The standard of the tournament was so high – every team was world-class and we knew it was obviously going to be a step up from anything we’d seen before. While we maybe didn’t get the results we wanted, we made a good account of ourselves.”

The third of three major tournaments in 2017 was Men’s EuroHockey Championship II in Glasgow, and it was a competition of historic significance for the Blue Sticks. The Scots had had many failed attempts to gain qualification to the top tier of European hockey, and a lot of heartbreak moments. The crowds came out in force once again and cheered Scotland to the gold medal at the tournament, and finally gaining qualification to the top tier of European hockey. The Blue Sticks won every match of the competition, culminating in an incredible 2-1 win over Wales in the final, coming back from being 1-0 down.

Forrester said, “That tournament was certainly one of the peaks for Scotland during my time in the squad. It showed what you can do when you have a full prgoramme. We really had the opportunity to build and improve as a squad. We knew we could win that tournament, we had had too many third places and with the crowd at our back, we managed to go the extra distance.”

Forrester popped up with a couple of huge saves in the final, first from a penalty corner, and then with his shoulder from point-blank range. “It was amazing when the whistle went,” he said, “it was mission accomplished and the end of a long journey in B Division. There was so much emotion in the changing room afterwards.”

2018 was a difficult year for Forrester. Following the high of being selected for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, a shoulder injury sustained in the last test match before the Games saw the keeper ruled out of the tournament. Forrester said, “It was the lowest moment of my career. I was so proud to be selected, but the moment I was told the news was absolutely gutting. As soon as that happened, I was determined to get to the Games in Birmingham. 2022 was a non-negotiable.”

Fast forward four years, via Scotland’s long-earned appearance in the EuroHockey Championships, in which a cruel case of goal difference saw the Scots relegated, Forrester reached another career high upon selection for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022.

One might be forgiven, after missing the previous Games through injury, to be cautious on the build-up to Birmingham, but not Forrester. “You can’t live your life in fear of injury,” said the keeper, “just be sensible and do the right things.”

A quite simply unbelievable opening match against New Zealand finished in a 5-5 draw, and was then followed by defeats to Australia, South Africa and Pakistan, and a win over Ghana. Forrester recalled, “It was a rollercoaster of a tournament, and we didn’t get the results we deserved. We probably should have beat Pakistan, and although we were gutted to draw with New Zealand, the way the game went, a draw with New Zealand is a great result. It didn’t go our way, but we performed well”.

“The Games was a great experience. The village is unique; you’re surrounded by athletes from every country, and every sport. It’s something that I will always remember.”

David is quick to thank the many people who contributed to his successes over the years.

Forrester said, “Thank you to my family and friends who supported me so much over the years. My mum has been really important throughout my career, and I’m grateful for the support. And, of course, my wife Ruth who has had to put up with me being away so much!

“Graham Moodie was a mentor to me, he helped me a lot when he coached me at Edinburgh University and also supported me when I joined the national team. I owe a lot to Moods.

“Derek Forsyth was also very important in my career. Del coached me in the U21s, and then in the seniors. Of course, like with any coach, we didn’t always agree, but he was always very genuine and looked out for his players’ interests. Del was such a loyal individual and wanted the best for everyone. I learned a lot from him and he is sorely missed.

“I also want to thank all the players I played with down the years, there are too many to mention. I’m thankful for all the experiences and friendships we built, and I know I’ll have friends for life.”

A huge congratulations from all at Scottish Hockey to David Forrester on a fantastic Scotland career.

 

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