Fletcher: My kids drove me to play again
THE conventional wisdom is that the only way after Manchester United is down.
Darren Fletcher reacts to the observation with a look which suggests West Brom head coach Tony Pulis can start rubbing his hands in optimistic expectation.
This is not the beginning of the end. The midfielder has unfinished business in the Premier League, business like showing his young twin sons that the old man has still got it, business like building a legacy at The Hawthorns.
At 31, Fletcher points to the example of Phil Neville as someone who shares that United DNA and who went on to re-invent himself at Everton.
It is a template Fletcher intends to use as he turns his back on 12 years at Old Trafford which brought medals and glory until he was struck down with ulcerative colitis.
The road back has been a long and winding one, taking another unexpected twist last week with the move to Albion.
Judging by the media scrum who piled into his unveiling, the spotlight will stay focused on Fletcher for some time.
So, Darren, the only way is down then?
‘No. Phil Neville is the example of that. That is something I would like to repeat here at West Brom. Having my career at Manchester United and achieving great success there, now I want to have success here, whatever you may judge that to be.
‘I just hope I have a number of years doing this and I can create a legacy at my new club.
‘When I was fighting on those lone, dark days, the goal was that I was a young man and had worked all my life to be a professional football player and I didn’t want to give up on that too early.
‘My kids [Jack and Tyler, 7] were still relatively young and they hadn’t see me play that much. Those things were driving me on. All the times before I got ill, they were maybe too young to realise things.
‘When they did start to realise I was a footballer, I was ill and struggling and they couldn’t get their head around that.
‘Now I’ve come back and this season they have seen me play. But they will be big West Brom fans now!’
Fletcher spoke to Sir Alex Ferguson about West Brom and Pulis after starting the first three games of this season and then facing the ignominy of being substituted at halftime at Aston Villa on his last League start.
His final appearance in a United shirt was the FA Cup win at Yeovil but he can expect a starting place for West Brom today against Burnley.
‘You accept squad rotation and accept the different things that have happened down the years at United but when you are on the bench weeks upon weeks it becomes difficult,’ he said.
‘It’s especially hard when you feel you have so much to give and you are capable of so much more.’
Pulis sees him as a future club captain and Fletcher added: ‘He was very straight with me. He told me if I’m not doing it I’ll be getting the hairdryer treatment. Great. I am used to that.’