Darren Barr Fletcher ( bear 1 February 1984 ) is a scottish football passenger car and former professional player who is presently the technical foul film director of Manchester United, where he spent the majority of his playing career. He by and large played as a central midfielder, but began his career as a right winger and besides featured occasionally in defense. fletcher came through the ranks of Manchester United ‘s Youth Academy and spent 20 years with United, making 342 appearances for the club. With them, he won five Premier Leagues, one FA Cup, two League Cups, the UEFA Champions League, four FA Community Shields and the FIFA Club World Cup. Fletcher was included in the PFA Premier League Team of the class for 2009–10. He was named vice-captain in his final season with the club. He joined West Bromwich Albion in February 2015, where he made 97 appearances. After leaving Albion in 2017, Fletcher had a biennial scrimp with Stoke City. He returned to Manchester United in a coaching capacity in October 2020, working with the club ‘s under-16s players, before being appointed to the first team in January 2021.
Reading: Darren Fletcher
fletcher made his full external debut for Scotland in 2003, and scored his beginning international finish on his moment appearance. The follow year, he played as the team ‘s youngest captain for over a century. After Barry Ferguson was banned from external football because of a breach of regulations, Fletcher was given the captainship on a full-time footing in August 2009. [ 4 ] [ 5 ] In total he won 80 caps and scored 5 goals for Scotland. [ 6 ] The center of Fletcher ‘s career was disrupted by an unfold break from football due to health problems caused by ulcerative colitis. [ 7 ] Between November 2011 and December 2013, he played only ten times for his clubhouse, undergoing an operation in early 2013 to lessen the effects of the condition after a fail return in September 2012. [ 8 ] [ 9 ]
early life [edit ]
Fletcher was born in Dalkeith [ 10 ] and raised in Mayfield near Edinburgh. He was educated at St Luke ‘s RC Primary School and St David ‘s RC High School in Dalkeith. [ 11 ]
Club career [edit ]
manchester United [edit ]
early on years [edit ]
Fletcher played his youth football at Hutchison Vale, [ 12 ] Tynecastle Boys Club [ 13 ] and Celtic Boys Club before being scouted by Manchester United. [ 14 ] He first joined the Manchester United youth frame-up at the age of 11, and then signed with the club when he was aged 15. [ 15 ] Fletcher said in 2020 that he had about signed for Newcastle United rather, as some people advised him it would be harder to break into the Manchester United first team. [ 15 ] He progressed promptly with Manchester United, and could have become the youngest musician ever to appear in their first gear team when he was selected in their squad for the final examination fixture of the 1999–2000 FA Premier League season, against Aston Villa on 14 May 2000. [ 16 ] This design was stymied as Premier League rules prohibited players on schoolboy contracts from appearing at the elder level, and his debut was delayed. [ 16 ] He had been character of the reserve team that won the Manchester Senior Cup in 1999–2000. [ 17 ] Fletcher was initially seen as a right midfielder, like to David Beckham, and was tipped by many to break into the first-team with ease and stay there for many years to come. [ 18 ] As he developed he came to be viewed more as a central midfielder. [ citation needed ] Over the adjacent couple of seasons, Fletcher ‘s interest was limited ascribable to assorted injuries, including a break foot. Nevertheless, by the 2002–03 season, he had become a even member of the reserve team, and after several appearances as an idle substitute, he finally made his first-team debut on 12 March 2003 – about three years behind schedule – starting on the right side of midfield against Basel in the moment group stage of the UEFA Champions League. [ 19 ] [ 20 ] He was substituted for David Beckham after 73 minutes, but a second base Champions League appearance followed against Deportivo de La Coruña a week late, [ 21 ] and he was named as a substitute for both legs of the quarter-final tie against Real Madrid. [ 22 ] [ 23 ] For his performances for the reserve team during the 2002–03 temper, Fletcher received the Denzil Haroun Reserve Player of the Year award. [ citation needed ]
First-team regular [edit ]
Fletcher broke into the Manchester United team during the 2003–04 campaign, playing a number of crucial matches and starting in United ‘s FA Cup Final succeed over Millwall in May 2004. [ 24 ] Despite a slow start to the 2004–05 political campaign, in which in the early character of the season he made identical few competitive appearances, Fletcher again broke into the United first-team. On 1 January 2005, Fletcher scored his first goal at club level in a 2–0 succeed over Middlesbrough. [ 25 ] Fletcher was one of the players singled out for criticism by club captain Roy Keane in the awaken of United ‘s 4–1 get the better of to Middlesbrough in October 2005. [ 26 ] Keane reportedly said, “ I ca n’t understand why people in Scotland rave about Darren Fletcher. ” however, Keane late attempted to set the record straight stating, “ If you listen to any of my comments over the last two or three years, if I ‘ve given any musician credit over the years it would be Fletch. Fletch will tell you that himself. ” [ 27 ] Fletcher went some way towards answering his critics on 6 November 2005, with his performance in the vital league match at home to Chelsea, scoring the only goal of the game with a looping heading. [ 28 ] His winning finish ended Chelsea ‘s 40-match unbeaten run in the Premier League. [ 28 ] In 2006–07, at the start of the season Fletcher retained a station in the first-team but alone on the bench and scored in an off win over Charlton Athletic, [ 29 ] equally well as scoring the headed achiever in the away game with Middlesbrough in December [ 30 ] and another headed finish in the home gain against Charlton in February, making it a double against the club that season. [ 31 ] As the season progressed, Alex Ferguson preferred the midfield four of Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick and Ryan Giggs, limiting Fletcher to a few substitute appearances. however, with Scholes absent through suspension, he made a star appearance in United ‘s 7–1 win over Roma in the Champions League quarter-final. [ 32 ] In the 2007–08 temper, with the arrival at the club of fellow cardinal midfielders Owen Hargreaves and Anderson and winger Nani, Fletcher played even less than he did during the former season. As earlier, Ferguson preferred Carrick, Scholes, Giggs and Ronaldo to him in midfield, and got even less playing meter than the modern arrivals. He did, however, put in some stalwart performances when given the chance, including two goals in the 4–0 get the better of of Arsenal at Old Trafford in the FA Cup fourth round of golf. [ 33 ] Fletcher picked up a Champions League winner ‘s decoration but was an unused substitute in the final. [ 34 ]
In the 2008–09 season, Fletcher started the first two games, due to injuries to Carrick and Ronaldo, and scored against Newcastle United at Old Trafford in United ‘s inaugural Premier League pit of the season, forcing a 1–1 draw after Obafemi Martins ‘ goal. [ 35 ] Fletcher notched his second goal of the season opening the score from close range against Portsmouth, following a base on balls from Patrice Evra. He was former shown a yellow card on the 93rd hour before the equal ended 1–0. [ 36 ] On 3 October 2008, Fletcher signed a three-year extension to his sign with Man Utd, keeping him at the club until 2012. [ 37 ] Fletcher notched his third goal of the season against Everton on 25 October. [ 38 ] He then scored in the Club World Cup semi-final against Gamba Osaka on 18 December after coming off the terrace. [ 39 ]
Fletcher in September 2009 In the Champions League semi-final second peg against Arsenal on 5 May 2009, Fletcher was sent off, ruling him out of the Champions League Final. [ 40 ] Manchester United appealed to UEFA to have the red tease overturned on feel for grounds on 7 May 2009, [ 41 ] but this was rejected on 11 May. [ 42 ] Then- Inter Milan coach José Mourinho commented on his absence : “ Fletcher is more crucial than people think … he ‘eats ‘ opponents in defensive transition. I believe Xavi and Andrés Iniesta are happy Fletch is not playing. ” [ 43 ] The 2009–10 season saw Fletcher consolidate his place in the affection of the United midfield, starting all of United ‘s crucial games. He opened his scoring account for the season with a doubly in the beginning Manchester bowler hat of the season, a memorable 4–3 victory for United, twice putting United ahead before Michael Owen scored in the sixth moment of total time. He won the world of the Match award for his performance. [ 44 ] On 21 November 2009, Fletcher scored his third of the season, hitting a half volley from the edge of the area into the top corner giving United a 1–0 lead against Everton in a 3–0 gain. [ 45 ] This season besides saw Fletcher and companion midfielders Michael Carrick and Park Ji-sung substitute in defense due to an injury crisis that left Patrice Evra being the alone match regular in defensive structure. [ 46 ] They still managed to keep a clean sheet against West Ham United [ 47 ] and concede entirely one goal against Bundesliga champions Wolfsburg in the Champions League. [ 48 ] Fletcher was sent off during the match against Birmingham City on 9 January 2010 after two bookable offences. [ 49 ] On 10 March, he scored the fourth goal in a 4–0 winnings in the second leg of United ‘s last 16 Champions League tie with AC Milan, making the score 7–2 on aggregate. [ 50 ] Following this, Fletcher captained United for the foremost time in the league pit against West Ham and was belated confirmed as United ‘s vice-captain, a stead he held until December 2014. [ 51 ] In April, Fletcher capped a successful season with survival in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year. [ 52 ] On 9 May, the last sidereal day of the season, Fletcher scored the first finish of a 4–0 acquire at home to Stoke City. [ 53 ]
late years and illness [edit ]
fletcher made his first start of the 2011–12 temper in United ‘s first group stage match on 14 September 2011 in the Champions League away at Benfica, which ended in a 1–1 withdraw. [ 54 ] [ 55 ] This was Fletcher ‘s first startle for a number of months after being sidelined towards the end of the 2010–11 season with illness, revealed in December 2011 to be ulcerative colitis. [ 7 ] He made his beginning Premier League appearance of the season four days late in a 3–1 home win against title rivals Chelsea. [ 56 ] Fletcher maintained his place in concentrate midfield in the surveil Premier League games against Stoke [ 57 ] and Norwich City. [ 58 ] On 23 October, he scored the consolation goal in a 6–1 frustration to local rivals Manchester City, [ 59 ] with a curling shot into the circus tent corner. [ 60 ] fletcher made his three-hundredth career appearance for Manchester United on 5 November in a 1–0 dwelling winnings against Sunderland. [ 61 ] Fletcher scored United ‘s second goal in a 2–2 draw with Benfica on 22 November in the Champions League. He met Patrice Evra ‘s cross at the first try, which the goalkeeper got a hand to and he followed it up on the second try to score. [ 62 ] Following this match, he announced that he would be taking an gallop transgress from football following checkup advice about his ongoing ulcerative colitis. [ 7 ] He did not play again in the 2011–12 season. [ 63 ]
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On 14 August 2012, Fletcher came on as a second-half ersatz, taking the captain ‘s armband, for Manchester United against Aberdeen in Neil Simpson ‘s recommendation. He played his first competitive pit in ten months, coming on as a substitute for Paul Scholes in the 78th hour in Manchester United ‘s 1–0 gain over Galatasaray at Old Trafford in the Champions League. [ 8 ] On 24 November, Fletcher scored his first finish since his illness, a heading from a Wayne Rooney corner against Queens Park Rangers. [ 64 ] On 17 January 2013, it was announced that Fletcher had undergo operation aimed at resolving his condition, which would rule him out for the end of the season. The instruction stressed that this was a “ aforethought procedure contract at the optimum clock ” that required Fletcher to be in good health to be carried out. [ 9 ] In his May 2013 retirement actor’s line following his concluding peer at Old Trafford as Manchester United director, Alex Ferguson wished Fletcher a quick recovery and retort to football. [ 65 ] A workweek late, it was revealed that his operating room had been a achiever and that Fletcher was on course to return to football in July 2013. [ 66 ] On 15 December 2013, Fletcher made his first appearance for about a year when he came on as a alternate for Ryan Giggs in a 3–0 victory over Aston Villa. [ 67 ] Another substitute appearance followed in the 2–0 League Cup acquire against Stoke City on 18 December, and on 26 December 2013, Fletcher made his first league start for 390 days in a 3–2 succeed off to Hull City. [ 68 ] He was named Manchester United vice-captain by Louis avant-garde Gaal in August 2014. [ 69 ]
West Bromwich Albion [edit ]
On 2 February 2015, Fletcher signed for West Bromwich Albion on a spare transfer. [ 70 ] He made his debut on 8 February 2015 against Burnley, where he was given the captain ‘s armband. [ 71 ] He scored his first finish for the club on 11 April 2015 against Leicester City, although the Baggies lost 3–2. [ 72 ] Between his debut for West Brom in February 2015 and the international break of October 2015, Fletcher did not miss a minute of Premier League football, marking fully his comeback from several illness-disrupted seasons. [ 73 ] He scored his second goal for West Brom on 28 December 2015, in a 1–0 gain against Newcastle United. [ 74 ] Fletcher had to wait until the 2016–17 season for his future Premier League goal to come. It finally came in a 4–0 win against Burnley on 21 November 2016. [ 75 ] He scored his second goal of the 2016–17 season on 21 January 2017, in a 2–0 gain against Sunderland. [ 76 ] A game against Stoke City, on 4 February 2017, marked his three-hundredth game in the Premier League. Former coach Sir Alex Ferguson hailed him as a “ fantastic professional and antic homo being. ” [ 77 ]
Stoke City [edit ]
On 1 June 2017, Fletcher signed a biennial compress with Stoke City, effective from the passing of his West Bromwich Albion shrink on 1 July. [ 78 ] He made his debut on 12 August as the team began their season with a 1–0 passing at Everton, playing the full 90 minutes. local newspaper The Sentinel praised his pass in the match. [ 79 ] Fletcher started in the first gear nine games of the 2017–18 Premier League season for Stoke, extending a mottle of straight league appearances to 100. [ 80 ] He became the one-eighth outfield player to achieve this mark in the Premier League era. [ 80 ] Fletcher scored his foremost finish for Stoke in a 1–0 win away at Watford on 28 October 2017. [ 81 ] Fletcher played 29 times in 2017–18 as Stoke suffered delegating to the EFL Championship. [ 82 ] [ 83 ] Fletcher struggled for playing time in 2018–19, making 11 appearances under Gary Rowett and then Nathan Jones. [ 84 ] [ 85 ] He scored the only goal of the game against Bristol City on 27 October 2018. [ 86 ] Fletcher left Stoke at the end of the campaign. [ 87 ] After leaving Stoke, Fletcher began studying for coaching qualifications. [ 88 ] He said in November 2019 that he had not officially retired from playing, and did not however feel ready to begin a career in management. [ 88 ] In May 2020 he acknowledged that he “ probably ” would n’t play again, and said that his medical condition ( ulcerative colitis ) mean that he would be at higher risk from COVID-19. [ 89 ]
International career [edit ]
fletcher established himself as a even option for Scotland during the 2003–04 season. He scored his inaugural finish in a 1–0 gain against Lithuania, having come off the terrace for only his second cap. [ 90 ] His finish took Scotland to the play-offs for UEFA Euro 2004. On 26 May 2004, he captained Scotland to a 1–0 friendly win against Estonia in Tallinn, making him the youngest scotland master since 17-year-old John Lambie in 1886. [ 19 ] [ 91 ] Fletcher scored with a 25-yard mint in a 3–0 succeed against Slovenia on 12 October 2005. [ 92 ] Fletcher was Scotland ‘s vice-captain under Alex McLeish, deputising in the absence of regular captain Barry Ferguson. Fletcher was named as full-time captain in November 2009 when Ferguson was banned from international football for misbehavior. [ 93 ] [ 94 ] fletcher earned his fiftieth detonator in September 2010, in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying match against Liechtenstein. [ 95 ] His bouts of illness interrupted his international career, which meant that Scott Brown assumed the captainship. [ 96 ] Fletcher was recalled to the external squad for a friendly against Poland in March 2014. [ 97 ] He resumed the captainship in September 2016, after Brown had temporarily retired from external football. [ 98 ]
Coaching career [edit ]
In November 2019, Fletcher said he aspired to a future in management. [ 99 ] In October 2020, Fletcher returned to Manchester United to coach their under-16s players, [ 100 ] and in January 2021, he was promoted to first-team coach. [ 101 ] In March 2021, he became the technical film director at Manchester United. [ 102 ]
style of play [edit ]
Fletcher normally played as central midfielder in a box-to-box role, where he stood out for his animalism, doggedness, intelligence, and work-rate, a well as his department of energy and defensive ability, namely his harness and cross off. He was capable of playing anywhere in midfield, however, and besides played as a right winger, in a holding function, and on occasion in defense ; at international level, he besides played in a more attack function, due to his ability to get forward, which earned him comparisons with Steven Gerrard. In 2009, Terry Butcher described Fletcher as a “ complete midfielder, a rare all-rounder and although he ‘s a slightly unlike player to Roy Keane, he can become as great. ” He likened Fletcher to Bobby Charlton, noting that he “ can get games by the nape of the neck and interject pace and tempo, ” besides adding that “ [ planck’s constant ] e understands the crippled, reads it good, is improving all the time and United trust heavily on him. ” While Fletcher was initially criticised in the media for his poor positional smell, a miss of creativity in his game, and his leaning to give monomania off carelessly early on in his career, he underwent a technical and tactical development, which enabled him establish himself successfully in a abstruse midfield function, from which he could dictate the tempo of his team ‘s toy in midfield with his evanesce ; his playing stylus in this position was influenced by one of his idols, Fernando Redondo. [ 103 ] [ 104 ] [ 105 ] In May 2020, early teammate Rooney cited Fletcher as an important penis of the successful 2006–09 United side, describing him equally being as “ critical ” to the team as himself, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Carlos Tevez, and saying he sacrificed his own individual acclaim for the team. [ 106 ]
personal life [edit ]
Fletcher was born and grew up in Mayfield, Midlothian. [ 19 ] [ 107 ] He is the don of match boys, Jack and Tyler ( bear 2007 ) with his wife, Hayley Grice. [ 108 ] [ 109 ] The match married in early June 2010. [ 110 ] Fletcher was one of many footballers in the Manchester and Liverpool area whose homes were burgled while playing away games ; burglars raided his house in February 2009 and held Grice at knifepoint. [ 111 ] The incident occurred while Fletcher was in Milan for Manchester United ‘s Champions League repair against Inter Milan. [ citation needed ] Fletcher ‘s father was caught speeding in Fletcher ‘s Range Rover on the M6 expressway in Cumbria on 27 November 2008. As the owner of the cable car, Fletcher was ordered to identify the driver of the car, but he failed to do so and was summoned to Penrith Magistrates ‘ Court in January 2010. After a hear, Fletcher received six penalty points on his driver ‘s license, a £650 fine and was ordered to pay £900 in costs. [ 112 ] Fletcher is involved in a program to encourage “ Deaf Friendly Football ” for youngsters. The program is run by the Manchester United Foundation and the National Deaf Children ‘s Society. [ 113 ]
career statistics [edit ]
cabaret [edit ]
International [edit ]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team
Year
Apps
Goals
Scotland
2003
4
1
2004
9
1
2005
7
1
2006
7
1
2007
7
0
2008
6
0
2009
7
0
2010
6
0
2011
5
1
2012
3
0
2014
5
0
2015
3
0
2016
7
0
2017
3
0
Total
80
5
- Scotland score listed first, score column indicates score after each Fletcher goal.[129]
Honours [edit ]
Manchester United
Individual