Darren Fletcher Has Served Man Utd Well, but It's Time for Him to Move On
Darren Fletcher is a lovely bloke. One of the nicest you'll meet in football.
On Manchester United's summer tour of the United States, most of the players strode through the mixed zone in L.A. trying desperately not to make eye contact with the group of journalists on the other side of the barrier.
Fletcher was the last one through. But instead of ignoring the request for a quick chat, he came over to explain he was already late for the team bus and didn't want to risk upsetting his new manager, Louis van Gaal.
He promised to make time for an interview later in the tour and kept his word. He's that kind of man.
But good manners aren't enough to keep you in a job at a place as competitive as Old Trafford. And while many fans perhaps won't want to admit it, they'll know, deep down, it's time for Fletcher to move on.
Stuart Mathieson of the Manchester Evening News reported on Wednesday that the Scottish midfielder is on Tony Pulis' wish list at West Bromwich Albion. There are likely to be other clubs interested, both this month and in the summer.
His time at United is coming to an end. There is already a lot of competition for places in United's midfield with Michael Carrick, Daley Blind, Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini.
Youngsters like Ben Pearson, currently on loan at Barnsley in League One, will be pushing for places soon, while Van Gaal is expected to strengthen even further in the summer.
Fletcher hasn't been the same player since being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2011. But that's certainly no criticism. It's a debilitating condition that he has shown unbelievable courage to first face up to and then come back from.
But his performances against Aston Villa and Yeovil, his only two starts since August, have shown that there's something missing. The terrific energy that once allowed him to race around for 90 minutes has faded slightly.
He has been a wonderful player for United. After coming through the academy, he made his first-team debut as a 17-year-old in 2003. He's won five Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the League Cup.
But he'll perhaps always be remembered for his sending off in the second leg of the 2009 Champions League semi-final against Arsenal. He was suspended for the final, and United were beaten 2-0 by Barcelona in Rome. There are still United fans who maintain the result would have been different had Fletcher played.
The following season he was named in the Premier League's team of the year. It's not hard to imagine him being honoured more often had his attention not turned from his midfield scraps on the pitch to a different kind of battle off it.
Still only 30 years old and fully recovered from his stomach condition, he has a lot of football left in him. But not at Old Trafford.
As Van Gaal leads United into a new era, it's time for Fletcher to move on. But he'll always have his medals and a place in the club's history. He's earned it.
Quotes obtained first-hand.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
