Fletcher flattered by Fergie words
Darren Fletcher has admitted he is embarrassed at the high praise afforded to him by Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Although the Red Devils were forced to wait until the last minutes of transfer deadline day before snaring Dimitar Berbatov, and it needed an unscheduled trip to Portugal to persuade Cristiano Ronaldo to stay, Ferguson claimed the biggest relief he felt this summer was when Fletcher signed a new four-year contract.
The Scot's reasoning was, as a one-club man, foot soldiers like Fletcher are an essential component of United's quest for glory.
Yet the praise does not sit easily with the midfielder, who skippered Scotland for the first time against Norway earlier this month.
"I feel slightly embarrassed," said Fletcher.
"From what I have seen, signing Dimitar Berbatov looks like a good piece of business and Ronaldo is still here.
"But the manager made me feel wanted and said I was a big part of the team. It was the reassurance I needed, so I was happy to sign the contract."
Fletcher has been handsomely rewarded and, partly due to a spate of midfield injuries, the 24-year-old will make his 10th appearance of the season tonight if he faces West Ham at Old Trafford.
It is not a bad return for the end of October, especially as he was only involved on 24 occasions during the whole of last term.
Although he did have a couple of spells out because of injury, Fletcher's lack of action alerted rival clubs, leaving the player well aware he would be a man in demand if he did decide to leave.
However, having seen Nicky Butt and Phil Neville depart in similar circumstances, with mixed results, Fletcher opted against making a move.
"You have to think of the consequences before you leave here because there is no place like Manchester United," he said.
"A lot of people told me but I have also seen it first hand.
"The decision to leave would be massive. Thankfully, it has not come to that.
"I feel as though I am part of the team and am doing my bit to help achieve success. As long as that continues I am happy to be here. The day I feel I am not contributing as much as I can, it might be time to move on."
Fletcher is expected to keep his place tonight even though Michael Carrick has returned to training after an ankle injury.
With a home game against Hull looming on Saturday, Ferguson may opt to put Carrick on the bench, where Ryan Giggs may also find himself after starting Saturday's disappointing draw at Everton.
Ferguson must resolve the usual right-back conundrum, with Wes Brown, Gary Neville and Rafael da Silva all vying for selection, while the United boss must be tempted to recall Carlos Tevez given the number of chances his side frittered away at Goodison Park.
http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1765_4425188,00.html
...Although the Red Devils were forced to wait until the last minutes of transfer deadline day before snaring Dimitar Berbatov, and it needed an unscheduled trip to Portugal to persuade Cristiano Ronaldo to stay, Ferguson claimed the biggest relief he felt this summer was when Fletcher signed a new four-year contract. ...
..."The Scot's reasoning was, as a one-club man, foot soldiers like Fletcher are an essential component of United's quest for glory. "..
http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_4424622,00.html
