BLADES RUNNER
Fleck sharpens up his act and walks tall in Sheffield
JOHN FLECK will today hoist the EFL League One trophy above his head and make a point of savouring the moment. The winners’ medal he will receive for helping Sheffield United to the title is certainly not the first honour of his career, but perhaps the most satisfying.
Boy-wonder status had already been bestowed on the midfielder when, aged 16, he climbed from the bench to help Walter Smith’s Rangers team see out the final minutes of the 2008 Scottish Cup Final win over Queen of the South.
A stellar future had been predicted for the teenager but, although he was decorated twice more as an SPL title winner in 2010 and 2011, he never did go on to establish himself at the club he grew up supporting.
Fleck departed Ibrox in 2012 after refusing to transfer his contract to Charles Green’s Newco in the wake of liquidation and joined Coventry City where he reinvented himself as a footballer.
He cites his key managers in the Midlands as first Steven Pressley, who converted him from an attacking wide player into a holding midfielder, and Tony Mowbray, who showed him how to express his talents within his deeper role.
After four seasons at Coventry, he transferred to Sheffield last summer and has flourished as the midfield kingpin at Bramall Lane, helping drive the club to promotion and earning a spot in the League One team of the year in the process.
The Blades conclude their campaign with a home match against Chesterfield today, and that will be the cue for a big party between players and supporters.
‘We’ve had a few great days recently, clinching promotion and then the title, but this will really be one to enjoy,’ said Fleck.
‘I don’t think they’ve had too many days like this at Bramall Lane and this is a sell-out.
‘I’m determined to enjoy it. I got my cup medal and a couple in the league at Rangers, but I was so young. It makes me feel old just talking about how long ago that was.
‘The thing is I didn’t play as much back then and so I’m not sure I quite earned it in the same way. This year, I’ve been an integral part of the team and have put a lot of hard work in.
‘For that reason it definitely means a lot more.’ Fleck was the subject of some
pretty outlandish hype when he broke through. A comparison with Wayne Rooney was invidious but stuck nevertheless, and was used against him when in 2009 he rowed with assistant manager Ally McCoist during pre-season and was later disciplined by Smith. Fleck and McCoist never did see eye to eye and, when the administration process kicked in during the latter’s first season in charge, a move away seemed inevitable.
It’s taken time for Fleck to reinvent himself but the move out of the spotlight has helped. From playing a maverick attacking role in his youth he is now a fully engaged and competitive midfield schemer who takes his responsibility seriously.
‘I’m a better player now than when I left Rangers,’ he insisted. ‘I’ve played 200-odd games and have a load of experience behind me. I’ve learned to play my
position and it’s paying off. I enjoy playing in the middle. It’s my job to try and pick passes and make us play but I also have the freedom to get forward at times.
‘When I was younger I tended to get put out on the left which wasn’t really ideal for me — it’s not like I’ve got a trick to get by anyone!’
Chris Wilder, the United manager, regards Fleck as the best midfielder in his division and hopes to hang on to the 25-year-old as the club prepares for the step up to the Championship.
‘I’m looking forward to playing at a higher level,’ insists Fleck. ‘Everybody knows how tough the Championship is, but it’s the sort of league where, if you can go on a run, anything is possible.
‘We have a really tight team here and the manager has emphasised the importance of togetherness since pre-season. There were five of us in that League One team of the year, so I think that tells you what a combined effort it’s been.
‘It was a great compliment to be named. To know that your fellow professionals think that of you is a nice feeling.’
One man not named in the divisional eleven was Fleck’s midfield sidekick Paul Coutts, a fellow Scot who has carved out a decent career for himself in England after being discarded by Aberdeen as a teenager, moving to Peterborough via Cove Rangers and then on to Derby and Preston before joining his current employers.
‘Paul is so good on the ball,’ added Fleck. ‘He has had a good career but this season he has been excellent. We’ve formed a really good partnership in there and we seem to bring out the best in each other.’
If it seemed like things came too quickly and too easily for the young Fleck, he has long since proved his credentials as a hard worker.
Not once has he failed to play at least 40 games a season since moving south and today’s appearance will take him just one shy of 50 for this term. The fact he has also averaged double figures for bookings over the past four years suggest he has added an extra layer of steel to his game, too.
‘I’ve managed to stay clear of serious injury which has been key,’ he said. ‘Coventry was a good learning ground for me. There were a lot of problems off the pitch there and we had the forced move to Northampton to contend with, so it wasn’t easy.
‘It feels very different here. We average between 20-25,000 for our home games and it’s been good to give them something back.’
Fleck is settled into life south of the border and has two young children to keep him occupied. He found time to watch last weekend’s Scottish Cup semi-final between Celtic and Rangers and admits it pained him to see his old team so comprehensively outplayed.
‘I am a Rangers fan and I still look out for every result. I watched the cup game and it was obvious that Celtic just have too much class at the moment,’ he added.
‘I needed to leave Rangers simply to get game time. I don’t know if I’ll ever get the chance to go back, but things are going well for me down here at the minute.’
Should Fleck continue on this trajectory then an international call-up may become a possibility. Tom Cairney was the most recent call-up to Gordon Strachan’s squad after impressing in England’s second tier but Fleck should take it in his stride. He was, after all, only 17 when first touted for inclusion under George Burley.
‘People tend to ask me if I felt burdened as a kid, but I can honestly say it didn’t affect me. If people choose to expect a lot there’s nothing you can do about that.’
The thing is, Fleck is now fully deserving of all the accolades coming his way. As today’s Bramall Lane audience will attest, that really is something to celebrate.