Darren Fletcher made his return in a Manchester United shirt as the under-21 side drew 2-2 against Fulham.
Fletcher was one of the qualified players above the 21-years-old age limit to appear in the match, giving Manchester United a massive boost.
He played 67 minutes of the match before he was withdrawn by Warren Joyce but it’s an appearance he’s savoured.
“I’ve been training for a few weeks and the next progression is some match time. I enjoyed it – Luckily, I’ve got a great family around me – my wife, children, mum, dad and sisters,” said the Scot.
The 29-year-old was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in the winter of December 2011, which has hampered his progress and career as a Manchester United player ever since.
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Fletcher’s experience and popularity as a Manchester United player means the news isn’t just a boost for the squad, it’s a huge boost for supporters who have watched a lot of midfield inconsistency over the last few weeks.
Fletcher carries a similar air to Michael Carrick when he’s in fine form, in the respect that he’s a very authoritative player and someone who has the ability to give the rest of the side a tremendous amount of belief and confidence.
How Fletcher will get back into the senior side is unclear at the moment but it will have the effect of being like a new signing for the club’s boss David Moyes.
What the heart of the United midfield really needs is a creative, high profile player, able to lay on chances for other attacking players as well as providing a decent goal return himself.
See also: Fletcher: I’ll be ready when Moyes calls upon me
Fletcher is very similar to the other midfielders already in the side; Carrick, Marouane Fellaini and Tom Cleverley to name the stars who have been used most frequently for the club this season.
His return creates positive problems for David Moyes and if Fletcher can inspire the rest of his teammates to put in a little more effort, drive a little bit harder and show a bit more determination then it’s worth getting him back into the mix as quickly as possible.
Here’s what a variety of blogs, fans and personalities made of the news.
image: © apasciuto
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