Fletcher plays full 90 minutes as he steps up his rehabilitation
SCOTLAND skipper Darren Fletcher played 90 minutes of Manchester United’s Barclays Under-21 Premier League fixture with Stoke City yesterday as his comeback stepped up a gear.
Fletcher, fielded as an over-age player, hasn’t featured in a competitive match since scoring in United’s 2-2 Champions League draw with Benfica last November but trained with Craig Levein’s Scotland squad in midweek and then played half an hour in Neil Simpson’s testimonial at Aberdeen.
A chronic bowel complaint has dogged the midfielder for four years and he was prescribed six months’ total rest before edging himself back into training over the summer.
Scotland’s opening World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Macedonia next month will probably come too soon for the 28-year-old but Levein hopes he will play his captain’s part later in the campaign.
Levein said: ‘Darren trained well, he was lacking explosion as you could imagine but to go from where he was six, eight weeks ago to where he is now is just remarkable.
‘With his determination and the way he’s handled this illness and played for us in the past, I would hesitate to close the door to him, but I will be guided by his club.
‘It will come down to where he is in his recovery.
‘If Manchester United think he is ready to go back and play for them, for me he will be ready to play for the international team.
‘He just wants to play now. He was raging that he only got 30 minutes up at Aberdeen.’
Levein speaks reverentially of Fletcher and the efforts he has made to represent his country in the past.
One example, when Fletcher flew independently to Liechtenstein for a qualifier in the Euro 2012 campaign last October, sticks in his mind.
‘I don’t want to go into any of the details but Darren was struggling then,’ continued Levein. ‘When we flew out he was in hospital, and when he got out he was going to drive directly to the airport.
‘When I think what he’s gone through to play for Scotland, and I think about that other guy you’ve just spoken about who can’t be bothered to send a...’
That last comment was of course a reference to Fletcher’s namesake Steven, a striker valued at £15million by club side Wolves, yet finished with Scotland as far as Levein is concerned.
Levein declined the opportunity to discuss the forward further but cannot say enough good things about his leader.
‘I think you know I can’t speak highly enough of Darren and everything that he has done for his club and his country,’ he said. ‘He’s just a brilliant guy and is an example and a role model for the club mentality we’re looking to create.
‘Just to see the players’ faces — they all love him and think he is the bee’s knees.’