Darren Fletcher facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Darren Fletcher

Fletcher with West Bromwich Albion in 2017
Personal information
Date of birth	(1984-02-01) 1 February 1984 (age 41)
Place of birth	Dalkeith, Scotland
Height	6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Manchester United (first-team coach)
Youth career
	Hutchison Vale
	Tynecastle Boys Club
	Celtic Boys Club
1995–2003	Manchester United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2002–2015	Manchester United	223	(18)
2015–2017	West Bromwich Albion	91	(4)
2017–2019	Stoke City	38	(2)
Total		352	(24)
National team
2002	Scotland U20	2	(2)
2002–2003	Scotland U21	4	(0)
2003	Scotland B	1	(0)
2003–2017	Scotland	80	(5)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Darren Barr Fletcher (born 1 February 1984) is a Scottish football coach and former professional player. He is currently a first-team coach at Manchester United. He spent most of his playing career at Manchester United, winning 13 trophies, including five Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League. Darren mostly played as a central midfielder. He also sometimes played as a right winger or in defence.

Darren Fletcher grew up in Manchester United's Youth Academy. He played for United for 20 years, making 342 appearances. With them, he won many titles: five Premier Leagues, one FA Cup, two League Cups, four FA Community Shields, the FIFA Club World Cup, and the UEFA Champions League. He was even chosen for the PFA Premier League Team of the Year in 2009–10. In his last season at the club, he was named vice-captain.

In February 2015, Darren joined West Bromwich Albion, where he played 97 games. After leaving Albion in 2017, he played for Stoke City for two years. He returned to Manchester United in October 2020 as a coach for the under-16s. In January 2021, he became a first-team coach. By March 2021, he was named technical director at Manchester United.

Darren first played for the Scotland senior team in 2003. He scored his first international goal in his second game. The next year, he became the youngest captain for Scotland in over a century. He became the full-time captain in August 2009. Overall, he played 80 games for Scotland and scored 5 goals.

In the middle of his career, Darren had to take a long break from football because of health problems. He had a condition called ulcerative colitis. From November 2011 to December 2013, he played only ten times for his club. He had an operation in early 2013 to help with his condition.

Early Life and Football Start

Darren Fletcher was born in Dalkeith, Scotland. He grew up in Mayfield near Edinburgh. He went to St Luke's RC Primary School and St David's RC High School. His mother is from Achill Island, which means he has Irish family roots.

Joining Manchester United's Youth Team

Darren played youth football for Hutchison Vale, Tynecastle Boys Club, and Celtic Boys Club. Manchester United noticed his talent and scouted him. He joined Manchester United's youth setup when he was 11 years old. He signed with the club at age 15. In 2020, Darren shared that he almost signed for Newcastle United instead. Some people told him it would be harder to get into Manchester United's main team.

He quickly improved at Manchester United. He was almost the youngest player ever to play for their first team. This was for the last game of the 1999–2000 FA Premier League season against Aston Villa in May 2000. But, Premier League rules stopped players on schoolboy contracts from playing at the senior level. So, his debut was delayed. He was part of the reserve team that won the Manchester Senior Cup in 1999–2000.

At first, many thought Darren would be a right midfielder, like David Beckham. They believed he would easily join the first team and stay there for many years. As he grew, he became more of a central midfielder.

Overcoming Injuries and Making His Debut

For the next couple of seasons, Darren did not play much because of injuries, including a broken foot. But by the 2002–03 season, he was a regular player for the reserve team. After being a substitute many times, he finally played his first game for the main team on 12 March 2003. This was almost three years later than planned. He started as a right midfielder against Basel in the UEFA Champions League. He was replaced by David Beckham after 73 minutes. A week later, he played another Champions League game against Deportivo de La Coruña. He was also a substitute for both quarter-final games against Real Madrid. For his great play with the reserve team in 2002–03, Darren won the Denzil Haroun Reserve Player of the Year award.

Becoming a Key Player

Darren became a regular player for Manchester United during the 2003–04 season. He played in many important matches. He also started in United's FA Cup Final win against Millwall in May 2004. He had a slow start to the 2004–05 season, playing very few games early on. But he still managed to break into the United first team again. On 1 January 2005, Darren scored his first goal for the club in a 2–0 win against Middlesbrough.

In October 2005, after United lost 4–1 to Middlesbrough, club captain Roy Keane criticized some players, including Darren. Keane reportedly said, "I can't understand why people in Scotland rave about Darren Fletcher." However, Keane later clarified, saying he had always given Darren credit. Darren showed his critics what he could do on 6 November 2005. He scored the only goal in a home game against Chelsea with a looping header. His winning goal ended Chelsea's 40-match unbeaten run in the Premier League.

Success and Challenges at United

In 2006–07, Darren kept a spot on the bench at the start of the season. He scored in an away win against Charlton Athletic. He also scored the winning header in an away game against Middlesbrough in December. He scored another header in the home win against Charlton in February. As the season went on, manager Alex Ferguson preferred Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick, and Ryan Giggs in midfield. This meant Darren played less, mostly as a substitute. But when Scholes was suspended, Darren played a starring role in United's 7–1 win over Roma in the Champions League quarter-final.

In the 2007–08 season, new central midfielders Owen Hargreaves and Anderson, and winger Nani joined the club. This meant Darren played even less. Ferguson still preferred Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, and Ronaldo. Darren played less than the new players. However, he still had strong performances when he got the chance. This included scoring two goals in a 4–0 win against Arsenal at Old Trafford in the FA Cup fourth round. Darren received a Champions League winner's medal, but he was a substitute who did not play in the final.

Fletcher playing for Manchester United in 2009

In the 2008–09 season, Darren started the first two games because Carrick and Ronaldo were injured. He scored against Newcastle United at Old Trafford in United's first Premier League game, leading to a 1–1 draw. Darren scored his second goal of the season against Portsmouth, making it 1–0. He signed a three-year contract extension with Manchester United on 3 October 2008. Darren scored his third goal of the season against Everton on 25 October. He then scored in the Club World Cup semi-final against Gamba Osaka on 18 December after coming off the bench.

Fletcher in September 2009

In the Champions League semi-final against Arsenal on 5 May 2009, Darren was sent off. This meant he could not play in the Champions League Final. Manchester United tried to appeal the red card, but it was not overturned. Then-Inter Milan coach José Mourinho said about his absence: "Fletcher is more important than people think ... he 'eats' opponents in defensive transition. I believe Xavi and Andrés Iniesta are happy Fletch is not playing."

The 2009–10 season saw Darren become a key player in the middle of United's midfield. He started all of United's important games. He scored two goals in the first Manchester derby of the season, a memorable 4–3 victory for United. He won the Man of the Match award for his performance. On 21 November 2009, Darren scored his third goal of the season against Everton in a 3–0 win. This season, Darren and fellow midfielders Michael Carrick and Park Ji-sung also played in defence because of many injuries. They still managed to keep a clean sheet against West Ham United. Darren was sent off against Birmingham City on 9 January 2010. On 10 March, he scored the fourth goal in a 4–0 win against AC Milan in the Champions League. After this, Darren captained United for the first time in a league game against West Ham. He was later confirmed as United's vice-captain until December 2014. In April, Darren was chosen for the PFA Premier League Team of the Year. On 9 May, the last day of the season, Darren scored the first goal in a 4–0 win at home to Stoke City.

Health Challenges and Return to Play

Darren made his first start of the 2011–12 season on 14 September 2011 in the Champions League away at Benfica. The game ended in a 1–1 draw. This was Darren's first start in many months after being out with an illness. In December 2011, it was revealed he had ulcerative colitis. He played his first Premier League game of the season four days later in a 3–1 home win against Chelsea. Darren kept his place in midfield in the next Premier League games. On 23 October, he scored a goal in a 6–1 loss to local rivals Manchester City.

Darren played his 300th game for Manchester United on 5 November in a 1–0 home win against Sunderland. He scored United's second goal in a 2–2 draw with Benfica on 22 November in the Champions League. After this match, he announced he would take a long break from football. This was due to medical advice about his ulcerative colitis. He did not play again in the 2011–12 season.

On 14 August 2012, Darren came on as a substitute for Manchester United against Aberdeen. He wore the captain's armband. He played his first competitive game in ten months, coming on as a substitute for Paul Scholes in a 1–0 win over Galatasaray in the Champions League. On 24 November, Darren scored his first goal since his illness. It was a header from a Wayne Rooney corner against Queens Park Rangers. On 17 January 2013, it was announced that Darren had surgery for his condition. This meant he would miss the rest of the season. His former manager, Alex Ferguson, wished him a quick recovery. A week later, it was confirmed his surgery was a success. Darren was expected to return to football in July 2013.

On 15 December 2013, Darren played his first game in almost a year. He came on as a substitute in a 3–0 win over Aston Villa. He also played as a substitute in a 2–0 League Cup win against Stoke City. On 26 December 2013, Darren made his first league start in 390 days in a 3–2 win away to Hull City. He was named Manchester United vice-captain by Louis van Gaal in August 2014.

Playing for Other Clubs

West Bromwich Albion

On 2 February 2015, Darren Fletcher joined West Bromwich Albion for free. He played his first game on 8 February 2015 against Burnley, and he was given the captain's armband. He scored his first goal for the club on 11 April 2015 against Leicester City, though West Brom lost 3–2. From his debut in February 2015 until October 2015, Darren played every minute of Premier League football. This showed he had fully recovered from his illness.

He scored his second goal for West Brom on 28 December 2015, in a 1–0 win against Newcastle United. Darren had to wait until the 2016–17 season for his next Premier League goal. It came in a 4–0 win against Burnley on 21 November 2016. He scored his second goal of the 2016–17 season on 21 January 2017, in a 2–0 win against Sunderland. A game against Stoke City on 4 February 2017 was his 300th game in the Premier League. His former manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, called him a "fantastic professional and fantastic human being."

Stoke City

On 1 June 2017, Darren signed a two-year contract with Stoke City. This started after his West Bromwich Albion contract ended on 1 July. He played his first game on 12 August as the team lost 1–0 at Everton. He played the whole 90 minutes. A local newspaper praised his passing in the match. Darren started the first nine games of the 2017–18 Premier League season for Stoke. This meant he had played 100 league games in a row. He was the eighth outfield player to do this in the Premier League era. Darren scored his first goal for Stoke in a 1–0 win away at Watford on 28 October 2017. Darren played 29 games in 2017–18 as Stoke was moved down to the EFL Championship.

Darren did not play as much in 2018–19. He made 11 appearances under two different managers. He scored the only goal in a game against Bristol City on 27 October 2018. Darren left Stoke at the end of that season.

After leaving Stoke, Darren started studying to become a coach. In November 2019, he said he had not officially stopped playing. He also said he was not ready to become a manager yet. In May 2020, he said he "probably" would not play again. He also mentioned that his medical condition meant he would be at higher risk from COVID-19.

Playing for Scotland

Darren became a regular player for Scotland during the 2003–04 season. He scored his first goal in a 1–0 win against Lithuania. This was only his second game for Scotland. His goal helped Scotland reach the play-offs for UEFA Euro 2004. On 26 May 2004, he was the captain for Scotland in a 1–0 friendly win against Estonia. This made him the youngest Scotland captain since 1886. Darren scored a goal from 25 yards in a 3–0 win against Slovenia on 12 October 2005.

Darren was Scotland's vice-captain under manager Alex McLeish. He filled in when the regular captain, Barry Ferguson, was not playing. Darren was named full-time captain in November 2009. This happened after Ferguson was banned from international football.

Darren played his 50th game for Scotland in September 2010. This was in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying match against Liechtenstein. His health problems interrupted his international career. Scott Brown took over as captain during this time. Darren was called back to the Scotland squad for a friendly against Poland in March 2014. He became captain again in September 2016, after Scott Brown had temporarily retired from international football.

Coaching Career

In November 2019, Darren Fletcher said he wanted to become a football manager in the future. In October 2020, he went back to Manchester United to coach their under-16s players. In January 2021, he was moved up to be a first-team coach. In March 2021, he became the technical director at Manchester United. In April 2024, Jason Wilcox took over this role. Manchester United said Darren would "continue to play a key role in the football leadership team."

How Darren Played

Darren Fletcher usually played as a central midfielder in a box-to-box role. This means he played all over the midfield. He was known for his strength, determination, smart play, and hard work. He was also good at tackling and marking opponents. He could play anywhere in midfield. He also played as a right winger, a holding midfielder, and sometimes in defence. For Scotland, he sometimes played in a more attacking role. This was because he could get forward and score goals, which made people compare him to Steven Gerrard.

In 2009, football expert Terry Butcher called Darren a "complete midfielder." He said Darren was a rare all-rounder. He also said that Darren "can get games by the scruff of the neck and inject pace and tempo." Butcher added that Darren "understands the game, reads it well, is improving all the time and United rely heavily on him." At the start of his career, some people criticized Darren for not being in the right position, not being creative enough, and giving the ball away. But he improved his skills and understanding of the game. This helped him become a successful deep-lying midfielder. From this position, he could control the speed of his team's play with his passing. His playing style was influenced by one of his heroes, Fernando Redondo.

In May 2020, former teammate Wayne Rooney said Darren was a very important part of the successful United team from 2006–09. Rooney said Darren was as "vital" to the team as himself, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Carlos Tevez. He added that Darren put the team first, even if it meant less personal fame.

Personal Life

Darren Fletcher was born and grew up in Mayfield, Midlothian.

He has twin boys, Jack and Tyler, who were born in 2007. Their mother is Darren's wife, Hayley Grice. They got married in early June 2010. Both Jack and Tyler are in the Manchester United academy. They moved there from the Manchester City academy in July 2023. Both brothers were chosen for the Scotland under-16 squad in August 2022. But later that season, Jack was picked by the England under-16 squad. The two brothers even played against each other in a match in February 2023.

Darren's home was burgled in February 2009 while he was away playing. His wife, Hayley, was held at knifepoint. This happened when Darren was in Milan for Manchester United's Champions League game.

Darren is involved in a program to help young people play "Deaf Friendly Football." This program is run by the Manchester United Foundation and the National Deaf Children's Society.

In 2014, Darren became an ambassador for the charity Crohn's and Colitis UK. This was after he recovered from surgery for ulcerative colitis.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

International Appearances

Scotland score listed first, score column indicates score after each Fletcher goal.

List of international goals scored by Darren Fletcher

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	11 October 2003	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	2	Lithuania	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 2004 qualification
2	30 May 2004	Easter Road, Edinburgh, Scotland	8	Trinidad and Tobago	1–0	4–1	Friendly
3	12 October 2005	Arena Petrol, Celje, Slovenia	20	Slovenia	1–0	3–0	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
4	2 September 2006	Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland	25	Faroe Islands	1–0	6–0	UEFA Euro 2008 qualification
5	3 September 2011	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	55	Czech Republic	2–1	2–2	UEFA Euro 2012 qualification

Awards and Achievements

Manchester United

• Premier League: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13
• FA Cup: 2003–04
• Football League Cup: 2009–10
• FA Community Shield: 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010
• UEFA Champions League: 2007–08
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2008

Scotland U16s

• Victory Shield: 1997–98

Individual Awards

• Denzil Haroun Reserve Player of the Year: 2002–03
• PFA Premier League Team of the Year: 2009–10
• Scottish FA International Roll of Honour inductee: 2010
• West Bromwich Albion Player of the Year: 2015–16

See also

• List of Scotland national football team captains