LEADER OF MEN: Returning skipper Fletcher hailed as an inspiration
Fletcher has his captaincy back but even when he was stuck on the bench he remained an inspirational figure within the Scotland camp, explains Strachan
AFTER being dragged off in Dortmund two years ago as the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign began in Germany, Darren Fletcher featured for a trifling 22 minutes of the next seven competitive Scotland internationals. From skipper to superfluous, he was five times an unused substitute.
Scotland benches have been places to plot an exit strategy while sat brooding over being dumped. Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor making fools of themselves worked a treat. Kris Boyd took the immediate huff at his vantage point for the duration of a 0-0 draw with Norway.
Throughout his spell as a spare part — a mightier fall than most take in an international career — Fletcher kept it together. He offered support to his colleagues, not for one second considering a selfish strop. His patience and professionalism has its crowning moment ahead. The 32-year-old is back in possession of the armband by virtue of Scott Brown quitting.
He will earn his 74th cap next Sunday night leading Gordon Strachan’s team out against Malta at the beginning of the 2018 World Cup qualifying bid. He will aim to overtake Paul McStay (76) and Alex McLeish (77) into third place in the all-time appearance list as the captain of Scotland.
Fletcher has not captained Scotland in a qualifier since that 2-1 loss to the world champions in September 2014 when he was replaced by James McArthur after 58 minutes. He felt on top of the world going into the game but, on reflection, admitted that his physical wellbeing after all his health problems was not what it is now.
That night affected the rest of the campaign but not the regard in which he is held by a Scotland squad who looked upon the Champions League winner as a leader of men, even while he was parked among the subs from Tbilisi to Dublin, at Ibrox and Hampden.
‘We all look up to him,’ said Strachan. ‘Not just the players but the coaching staff as well. Not many of us, if any, have done what he’s done. He’s a man who makes very few headlines and he doesn’t need them, doesn’t need to be a celebrity off the pitch.
‘He only wants to be a good player on it. He only wants to help people around him. For me, that’s a fantastic footballer and a fantastic man. When Darren wasn’t captain or playing so much, he was still a leader. There are a couple like that.
‘Russell Martin, Gordon Greer, they’re more vocal and outgoing, so we weren’t lacking in that quality. But now Darren gets a game every week at West Brom. And if Tony Pulis is picking him every week in the Premier League and trusting him, I’m happy to follow his guide.
‘When he first came back, he broke himself in gently. But he’s off the leash now, more comfortable about everything he’s doing and he knows fine well everything is behind him. When he first came back, he must have been wondering: “How am I going to feel?”. Am I going to be the same Darren Fletcher? Now he knows he is and he’s getting on with it.’
If Fletcher has years to spare at the top level, following his spell out of the game with a chronic bowel condition, then Strachan (right) can only help keep him young by introducing a new wave of young talent to be mentored by the West Brom midfielder.
Arsenal, Liverpool and Sunderland are on the trail of Nottingham Forest teenager Oliver Burke, who has featured in two Scotland friendlies and has shown early season form to suggest he could provide the key to breaking down a stuffy Maltese defence. The 19-yearold’s involvement against Denmark and Italy already has seasoned Scotland pros purring, according to Strachan.
He explained: ‘When you bring players in, it’s great when you hear the older players going: “Where did you find him?”. That’s what I like when I bring a player into the squad, when he generates interest amongst the squad. The rest are saying: “Yeah, I like him. I like what he does”.
‘There are some people that come along and make no difference to a squad, but the ones that make a difference, that’s terrific. He’s still a young fella. There are things he has to work on — he knows that — but in terms of giving him a competitive cap, that’s not my priority when we’re playing this game. My priority is to make sure we put in a good performance against Malta. ‘The one thing that strikes me from watching Malta is that they’re not scared of anyone. There is no fear. They’ll push up on you and close you down, take the ball and try to play. They also have some right good players there, backed up by a system that looks hard to beat. It’s only very occasionally you see walkovers in international football. It is not going to happen in Malta.’
The easier a time that a potentially rusty Scotland defence can enjoy against the group minnows, the better. This is the trouble spot of the squad once again. Russell Martin has lost his place at Norwich after a pre-season injury. Grant Hanley is behind on match fitness at Newcastle. Gordon Greer is part of a Blackburn defence that conceded 11 goals in their first
four league games and Alan Hutton has been out of favour since the first day defeat of Aston Villa’s season.
Strachan could introduce young power and pace on either flank, with Callum Paterson and Kieran Tierney or Andrew Robertson, but in the centre of the park it will be the unspectacular and steady that he regards as safe in what is one of the kindest opening fixtures Scotland could have faced before tackling Lithuania, Slovakia, England and Slovenia.
‘Russell and Grant played regularly last season but have missed out so far,’ said Strachan. ‘It’s not too bad as Grant has played a couple of games and I know Russell had an injury pre-season, that happens. Christophe Berra is a regular. He’s not John Stones but what a good defender and lad he is.
‘It is the best we’ve got and we’re happy with that because we know them and their strengths. It is the same with Gordon Greer. He’s only had one defeat in 11 games for us. That’s a good record and says we have to look after him.
‘He can play and is different from Christophe and Grant. It would be good if they were all playing at the top level regularly but they aren’t. It doesn’t bother me one little bit because I know what they can do and they’ve never let us down.’