‘Hungry’ Fletcher will get plenty of chances to prove himself
CHRIS Coleman has promised a ‘hungry’ Ashley Fletcher he will get plenty of football at Sunderland this season.
The 22-year-old striker has only made three Championship starts since his £6.5m move to Middlesbrough in the summer – and Tony Pulis only selected him in his XI for a solitary FA Cup game.
Whether rustiness sees Coleman err on the side of caution and put him on the bench for today’s visit of Ipswich Town remains to be seen, but Fletcher should not expect to be there for long.
“He’s hungry to get a chance, and he’s going to get loads of game-time with us, that’s for sure,” said the Welshman.
“When you join a new club, you’re trying to find your feet, you’re excited, and you want to hit the ground running. You want to impress, and he’s going to get a chance to do that.”
Fletcher joined on deadline day after Pulis changed his stance, having previously stated he would not let players go out on loan.
But with Boro over-stocking with centre-forwards in 2017, all parties should benefit from Fletcher playing regularly.
“Things started to move once Fletch became available, because I didn’t think he would be,” Coleman admitted. “That’s when I spoke to Tony Pulis, who was fantastic.
“Once we knew Fletch was available, it was all about trying to get him here.
“With the help of Tony, and with a chat with Ash himself, we were able to make things work.”