Darren Fletcher United & Scotland

Manchester United hardman Darren Fletcher has revealed that he revels in his new tough guy image at Old Trafford.  Scottish international Fletcher has established himself as the stereotypical big game player this season after seasons spent as part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s supporting cast at United.  And in a revealing interview with United fanzine United We Stand he has warned the big names of English and European football that he is going to be in their face for the rest of their careers.  Fletcher said: ‘I love challenging myself against all the best players and a lot of them play in the Premiership.  ‘I watch how good they are, but when we play them I think to myself: ‘Right, I’m going to see how good you really are.  ‘Fabregas, Lampard and Gerrard, I’m going to get against you and see how you like it. And when you’ve not got the ball I’m still going to get about you and see how you like it.”

‘I’m going to ask you: “Do you fancy it? Do you like getting kicked? Do you like the fact that I am going to be at you for the whole 90 minutes? As soon as you get the ball I am going to be in your face. You are not going to like it one bit.  “And when we have the ball I am going to run you into the corner and you’re going to follow me. Are you ready for that? Because that’s what’s going to happen.”  ‘I love the challenge of playing against the best players in the world. Lampard is the one who stands out in the Premiership. His movement is outstanding for such a big lad.

‘He’s fit, runs all day, but if you turn your back and he gets blindside of you he’s gone. You have to be so aware of him for the whole game, concentrating 100 per cent.  ‘You can’t watch the ball; you have to watch the player. Lose your concentration and switch off and he will punish you.  ‘When we play against Chelsea, the manager asks me to get against him and stop him. Stop those runs into the box. I’ve managed to do that.

‘I love the big games. I get excited before them and not a bit nervous. I dreamed about playing in these games as a kid so I’m determined to make the most of them while I am there, determined to test myself to my full ability.  ‘I don’t want to sound big headed, but I’ve never come up against anyone who has torn me to shreds.  ‘The only time that has happened has been in training against Roy Keane and Paul Scholes. I do enjoy the big games, I really do.  ‘In my younger games, I would perhaps sit back in the so-called lesser games.  ‘I’d let the lads go and play while covering for them. But in the big games I’d come out wanting the ball all the time.  ‘I’ve had to learn to do that in every game, to do it week in week out.

‘I’ve made a conscious effort in the last couple of years to play every game as if it’s my last. If I’m going to stay in the team, I believe I have to play like that. It has worked quite well for me. My whole goal is to win the game and put in a performance which keeps me in the team.  ‘There is huge competition for places at Manchester United and if I don’t have that attitude then I’ll not be in the team.’  Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been one coach to label Fletcher a destructive player this season, the Frenchman’s comments coming in the wake of his team’s 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford early in the campaign.  Fletcher’s latest views will hardly dissuade anybody from the view that he is in United’s team for his combative qualities rather than this more artistic skills.  Nevertheless, the Scotland captain scored a superb goal as United beat Everton 3-0 at the weekend and has hinted that he may be able to get forward more often now that Cristiano Ronaldo has left the club.

He added: ‘Any team in the world would miss him. He is a fantastic player and a great goalscorer.  ‘He adapted so much when he was here. He went from being a silky winger to being a goalscorer winger and the best player in the world.  ‘Hopefully we can become a more rounded team and other players will raise their game to cover the gap left by his absence.  ‘We need more goals from midfield and more goals from all he players. That will make us a stronger team, because we won’t be as reliant on one player.  ‘Much as Cristiano was brilliant for us, the team sacrificed a lot for him too.  ‘As a midfielder, I knew that I couldn’t go bombing forward because Cristiano had gone forward.

‘I knew that I had to cover on the right so that the left back and left midfielder couldn’t double up on our full back.  ‘Maybe now we’re a lot more rigid 4-4-2, with everyone knowing their role. There are perhaps more opportunities for midfielders to get in the box and get goals.’  Known at Old Trafford as a modest player, Fletcher has spoken in the past about how much he learned from the departed Roy Keane. It is clear he also looks up to Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.  ‘Some of us have achieved a little bit of success, but Giggsy blows us all out of the water,’ he said.

‘We’re all jealous of him and we want more of what he’s had. We want to match his medal haul.  ‘He’s got the perfect balance. He’s a wealthy man and he can enjoy himself, but he doesn’t throw it in anyone’s face.  ‘He’s not in the papers every week for the wrong reasons or them daft magazines.  ‘He’s a dedicated family man, a dedicated professional and a legend here at United.  ‘He’s played more games than anyone in the club’s history, won more trophies and scored in every season of the Premier League.  ‘It was great to have someone like that here when I was a youngster. I looked up to him and saw that there was no ego. You have an ego at this club and it gets kicked straight out of you.  ‘Some players come in a little bit confident, but it’s out of them within a few weeks.  ‘How Scholesy has never been nominated for European or World Player of the Year is beyond me. ‘Scholesy is still a frightening player now, but when he was scoring 20-odd goals a year from midfield he was among the very best.  ‘He probably didn’t get those awards because he disappeared straight after training and didn’t do any interviews.  ‘Look at the foreign players after the European games – they all want to swap shirts with Giggs and Scholes.  ‘It was funny watching (Ivan) de la Pena before the Espanyol game at Old Trafford. He was in awe of Scholesy and looking up to him as if he was a god.  ‘He arranged for shirts to be swapped before the game. Scholesy seemed a bit embarrassed. Good players know great players and they respect them. ’I have to train with Scholesy every day so I know how good he is. I can’t get near him.’

Tags: darren fletcher, man utd, paul scholes, ryan giggs, scotland