Fletcher takes confidence back to Owls

STEVEN FLETCHER hopes scoring for Scotland can help kickstart his stint with Sheffield Wednesday.

Fletch has been knocked from pillar to post since signing at Hillsborough this summer, with two serious head knocks requiring stitches in as many months.

But after netting on international duty in Malta, the Owls hit man hopes the only thing getting sewn up between now and the end of the season will be his new club’s promotion bid.

“Coming on in Malta and getting a goal was great for the confidence and I want to take that back to Sheffield Wednesday with me,” said Fletcher.

“Obviously I’ve dropped down a division to the Championship, but hopefully it’s only for the one season.

“Wednesday reached the play-off final last time. We’ve got a good squad and there’s a long, long way to go.

“I had a bad start with injuries. Two weeks before the first game I burst my eye in training when one of our defenders gave me a whack with the elbow and the doc had to stitch me up.

“Then 20 minutes into the opening game against Aston Villa I split my head open and needed another 10 stitches, so it’s been eventful.

“I was just getting going and then that happened – I thought, that’s what I get going in for headers! But I’m enjoying it.

“We had a tough start, but now I’m really looking forward to getting back in there and really kicking on.”

There is pressure on Fletcher to justify the faith placed in him by his manager.

But, as a former holder of the “most expensive Scottish player” tag, weight of expectation is a burden he is used to shouldering.

Oliver Burke’s £13 million summer move from Nottingham Forest to RB Leipzig saw him inherit Fletcher’s former title.

And the Wednesday hit man believes his Scotland teammate has the personality – and the ability – to handle his newfound status.

“I’ve been where Oli is, as the most expensive Scotsman, but it doesn’t seem to be a burden on him,” said Fletcher.

“If you say to him that he’s gone for an awful lot of money he’ll just shrug like it doesn’t matter. He’s that kind of character.

“There’s a bit of Gareth Bale about him.

“The bigger I’m getting, the slower I get, but with his size Oli terrifies defenders. They don’t know what to do.”