Lyle Foster


Lyle Brent Foster is a South African professional soccer player who plays as a forward for club Burnley and the South Africa national team.

Club career

Foster was promoted to the Orlando Pirates' first team for the 2017–18 season. On 15 September 2017, he made his professional debut against Maritzburg United. He was named among English newspaper The Guardians top 60 most promising young players in the world. On 22 January 2018, he scored his first goal for Orlando Pirates in a 1–1 draw against Polokwane City.
He signed for Monaco in January 2019 on a deal until June 2023, where he would begin on the reserve team.
On 30 August 2019, Foster joined Monaco's feeder club Cercle Brugge in Belgium on a season-long loan.
On 13 August 2020, Foster joined Vitória de Guimarães for a transfer fee of 1.2 million euro. In 2021, he joined Westerlo on a season-long loan with an option-to-buy.
In the summer of 2022, Foster moved to Westerlo on a permanent basis and signed a four-year contract with the club.
In January 2023, Foster signed for EFL Championship club Burnley on a four-and-a-half-year contract. The transfer fee paid to Westerlo was reported as €7 million, a record for a South African player, which rose to €10 million after the Clarets guaranteed promotion to the Premier League.
On 26 October 2023, Foster signed a new five-year contract with Burnley. In November 2023, he was ruled out for an indefinite period following the reoccurrence of a mental health issue. He made his return after a two-month break when Burnley faced Everton and went on to score in their final fixture of the year against Aston Villa.

International career

On 1 December 2025, Foster was called up to the South Africa squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Career statistics

International

No.DateVenueCapOpponentScoreResultCompetition
19 June 2022Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco91–01–22023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
224 March 2023Orlando Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa101–02–22023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
324 March 2023Orlando Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa102–02–22023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
412 September 2023Orlando Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa121–01–0Friendly
56 September 2024Orlando Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa161–02–22025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
611 October 2024Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha, South Africa184–05–02025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
725 March 2025Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan, Ivory Coast201–02–02026 FIFA World Cup qualification
85 September 2025Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa212–03–02026 FIFA World Cup qualification
922 December 2025Marrakesh Stadium, Marrakesh, Morocco252–12–12025 Africa Cup of Nations
1029 December 2025Marrakesh Stadium, Marrakesh, Morocco272–13–22025 Africa Cup of Nations

Honours

Westerlo
Burnley
South Africa U20