Darren Fletcher to West Bromwich Albion: Latest Transfer Details, Reaction, More
Darren Fletcher has completed a free transfer to West Bromwich Albion, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract with the club that brings an end to his 20-year stay at Manchester United.
The club confirmed on Monday they have won the race to sign the Scottish international, whose availability at Old Trafford had raised interest from numerous European parties:
Fletcher first joined the Red Devils' academy in 1995 at the age of 11 and for some time seemed poised to play his entire career at Old Trafford like fellow graduate Paul Scholes.
However, the 31-year-old's progress was derailed, and in 2011 he began the first of his breaks from football in order to battle ulcerative colitis. The crippling bowel condition kept him sidelined for much of the last three-and-a-half years.
As Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News points out, United's willingness to see Fletcher through his treatment shows the sport isn't always cutthroat in terms of business:
Fletcher has since made a full return to the pitch, attempting to show United boss Louis van Gaal he could still be of use to the club. With his contract ending this summer, though, the club opted against extending Fletcher's deal.
Evidently, there are those who feel the midfielder can still be of great use, however, with Sky Sports and ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan reporting of interest from West Ham and Valencia, respectively, earlier in January.
Since debuting for United's senior team in 2003, Fletcher has clocked up 342 appearances for the Premier League titans, per his official club profile.
Now, he'll look to begin a new chapter of his career with West Brom and show that any illness concerns are well and truly behind, with eyes firmly fixed on the better days to come.
