Fletcher’s time to shine
Darren named captain for Italy clash and is desperate to impress Strachan
DARREN FLETCHER will skipper Scotland into friendly battle with Italy on a mission to convince Gordon Strachan that he should reclaim first-pick status for the World Cup qualifiers.
The West Brom midfielder admits he might need to produce something ‘extra special’ in the post-season contests, in Malta tonight and next Saturday against France, to succeed.
Fletcher lost his starting place in the Scotland midfield during the failed Euro 2016 campaign. He kicked off in Dortmund against Germany then didn’t start again until facing Poland at home on the night of elimination.
However, he captained Strachan’s side to friendly victory in the Czech Republic in March and, in the absence of the injured Scott Brown, will be handed the armband this evening at the Ta’ Qali National Stadium.
The 32-year-old intends to maximise the opportunity three months before the squad returns to Malta to begin the bid to make the 2018 World Cup Finals in Russia.
Fletcher said: ‘I’ve got to be patient. And maybe when I’ve been given my chance, I’ve not done well enough. I’m quite aware of that and maybe I have to do something extra special to get back in the team. I’m starting to realise that may be the case.
‘I look back to the first game of the campaign, away to Germany. I didn’t have good game. I had my chance and then the manager reverted to the players who’d been in the team before that. And that was it, I was on the sidelines looking out for the rest of the campaign.
‘I played well in friendlies here and there but there wasn’t really a chance to play in the qualifiers. I’d like to think it will be different next time. I want to be the team from the beginning and stay in there, like everyone does.
‘But the manager has got to make that decision. I’ll respect that and do what I did in the last campaign if not selected. I’ll be exactly the same in the dressing room, helping the lads who are playing, helping everyone out and being a positive influence in the place because that’s the way I am.
‘But I’m thinking positively that I will be playing. It’s important to me we qualify as a team and a country and, of course, I want to be part of it. I’m really desperate to play now to impress the manager and get in the team for the World Cup campaign.’ HUNGRIER THAN EVER
BY the time Darren Fletcher
two more caps in his luggage to return home from another proud bout of international service next weekend, he will have hurdled Tom Boyd into fourth place in the all-time Scotland standings with 73 appearances.
Paul McStay and Alex McLeish are within reach. Jim Leighton on 91 is in his sights. Kenny Dalglish will be a mere 29 international outings away for the midfielder who, until the Euro 2016 campaign, had been an automatic starting selection since scoring against Lithuania in 2003.
With eight or nine internationals a season being standard, Dalglish’s 102 is far from an outrageous ambition for a 32-year-old with mileage to bolt on the end of his career as a result of time taken out because of illness.
However, Fletcher acknowledges he faces a battle simply to get into a Scotland team these days. Coming off a stellar season with West Brom where he barely missed a minute and was the mainstay of their successful efforts to remain in the top flight, Fletcher would love to return to enjoying the same regard for his country.
The Champions League and four-time English Premier League winner has not felt that way for a while. He spent the bulk of the doomed campaign to reach France on the bench, starting against Germany in September 2014 then not again until the 2-2 draw against Poland 13 months later at Hampden.
So as he prepared to make his 72nd appearance, captaining the team in friendly action against Italy in Malta tonight, Fletcher declared his intention to cement his status as a starter for Gordon Strachan.
He joked about the influence of Joey Barton in Scotland affecting him, of ‘losing my head’ and, bored of never being involved in a controversial moment in his career, chucking it if he is not involved when Scotland next visit the sunshine island in September.
What chance of him taking the huff at Scott Brown being skipper? Quitting to avoid being a substitute for James Morrison again? Hurling toys from the pram because James McArthur and Charlie Mulgrew will anchor the Scotland midfield? That is so far removed from Fletcher’s style.
When asked if he could have concentrated solely on club football, he replied: ‘You think about it, you are constantly thinking about things. But I still feel young. At 32, I feel I can make up for the lost time and add on to the end of my career. In terms of physical injuries, touch wood, there’s not been many.
‘Being out of the game was due to illness, so it wasn’t my muscles or my joints or anything like that. They actually had a bit of a rest in that time period. The motivation is still there because people did doubt me and said I wouldn’t get back.
‘I have still to prove people wrong in that respect. I don’t want to not play, then stop and hang up my boots just because I’m not being picked, and I’ve got to be on the bench and wait while people in my position have played well.’
Fletcher stresses this was a challenge he was fully prepared to face up to when emerging from missing so much football because of a chronic bowel condition. Players seized the jersey to take precedence over him and, while that was an occasional hazard of being a Manchester United player in a golden era, being an unused substitute for Scotland must have been an uneasy experience. ‘This is the situation I’m in and I’m desperate to rectify it, get in the team and be an integral part of helping Scotland qualify,’ he said. ‘I still feel great. I’m enjoying my football and I’ve come off a good season at my club. I played every league game for West Brom. ‘I was rested for two cup games but ever since I’ve come back from the illness I’ve not missed a game through injury — apart from having to pull out of Scotland against Nigeria because I broke my toe in the last game of the season. ‘I feel I’ve been getting fitter and stronger and the performances have got better. It’s all going in the right direction for me. ‘There’s one more challenge and that’s getting back in the Scotland side and qualifying for that major tournament.’
Fletcher stresses he is physically far stronger than when the Euro 2016 bid kicked off in Dortmund and he was withdrawn for McArthur after 58 minutes. He featured for only 22 minutes of the following seven competitive matches.
‘I didn’t have a bad game,’ he recalled. ‘I just didn’t do as well as I thought I could. I had a fantastic week’s training and felt on top of the world. I didn’t reach the levels expected. It didn’t quite happen for me. That’s how I felt and that affected the rest of the campaign.
‘I wasn’t on the physical level that I am now. You’ve got to remember the manager was in charge for a year and the boys did well. Arguably, two of our best performers in the campaign were Broony and James Morrison, who played centre midfield. Me and James McArthur were fighting to get in there.
‘That speaks volumes of the quality in the squad. For me, it’s the most talented we’ve had.’
That write-up suggests Fletcher has no fears for this squad heading into two daunting tasks — Italy and France on the road. Two elite European nations priming for a shot at becoming champions of the continent in little over a month.
‘I’m not thinking about disaster,’ he said. ‘I’m thinking really positively that these games can kick-start us to get ready for the (World Cup) qualifiers. It’s a chance to test ourselves against two teams fancied to do well in the tournament.
‘I don’t want a six-week holiday at my age. I want to keep playing. I’ve had a nice week’s break and now I’m looking forward to the challenge of these two games. Days off have been a challenge, finding things to do.’
With that dreary domesticity in mind, Fletcher is in no mood to create further spare time by missing any internationals for a long time to come.