Steven Fletcher helped flip Jacob Brown right into a Scotland striker. Now the veteran hitman hopes to guide Dundee United ’s younger weapons on to the continent.
The 35-year-old has signed a two-year deal at Tannadice after leaving Stoke Metropolis. It was on the Bet365 stadium the place his pep talks with Brown helped the 24-year-old earn a cap name. Fletcher admitted that he will likely be anticipated to be a task mannequin to the kids breaking into Jack Ross’ aspect.
United will discover out who their opponents will likely be within the third spherical of Europa Convention League on Monday. And Fletcher insisted that he has returned to Scotland, 13 years after he left Hibs, with a way of accountability. He mentioned: “I did plenty of work with Jacob final season and noticed his recreation come on leaps and bounds.
“He’s a sponge, he simply needs to pay attention and take all of it in. Talking to the gaffer, United has plenty of excellent younger lads and I wish to do the identical for them.
“Jacob was a kind of who simply needs to be taught on a regular basis and I like that. If he says I didn’t assist him get his Scotland name up I received’t be pleased with him!
“I don’t understand how a lot of a task I performed within the precise call-up however I did converse to Frank Rilley [the Scotland national team administrator], who I'm nonetheless shut with from enjoying with the nationwide crew. I discussed Jacob to him someday so I don’t know what occurred after that and in the event that they adopted it up on the again of that.
“However a number of months later he received his call-up. I used to be delighted for him as a result of the older I get the extra you wish to assist younger gamers. After I was a younger lad I used to be cheeky and I'd reply again, however I cherished listening to the older gamers.
“Loads of them most likely thought to themselves ‘he simply didn’t take heed to a phrase I mentioned’ however I did – I at all times wished to enhance my recreation. There's a level in your profession when individuals begin listening to you – I feel they assume ‘he’s outdated now so I higher begin giving him the time of day’.
“That occurred for me and I actually loved it. Once you see the enhancements in younger gamers, doing the belongings you’ve suggested them to do, it provides you a bit of buzz.”
Fletcher left Scotland as a 21-year-old for Burnley. Through the years, he had been linked with a transfer to Celtic and he additionally had different choices when the Arabs got here calling earlier this summer season.
He reckons the time was proper to return dwelling. Fletcher mentioned: “I nonetheless have the starvation and need, 100 per cent. I wouldn’t be right here in any other case.
“I nonetheless find it irresistible, I like going out to coach and nonetheless really feel like an 18-year-old. Individuals have been asking why I used to be going again to Scotland as an alternative of staying in England however I'm at a unique stage of my life now.
“I at all times had it in my head that I’d come up the highway as a result of I wished to get my household settled right here. So I at all times knew that the time would come ultimately.
“I spoke to the gaffer even earlier than he got here right here, it was a number of years in the past really, so I knew he appreciated me and I like the way in which he speaks. So when he and Tony Asghar [United’s sporting director] received in contact a number of weeks in the past I knew it will be good for me.
“I had a number of choices to remain in England and I nonetheless really feel I can play down there for some time but. However in my head I need again to Scotland and transfer on to the following part of my profession. I wish to get into teaching and hopefully that’s one thing I can begin wanting in the direction of.”
Fletcher is conscious of the virtually annual hyperlinks to the Hoops which received the followers at Parkhead speaking. He mentioned: “Earlier on in my profession after I was linked with Celtic I didn’t have a lot to do with it.
“At that age you simply go away it to brokers and all that, solely discovering issues out after they’re just about carried out. So I don’t understand how shut it got here within the early ones however earlier than I signed for Stoke was the closest it got here.
"It didn’t occur ultimately and I’ll inform that story someday! However I used to be linked with Celtic so much through the years – a lot I feel the Celtic followers have been sick of listening to about it.”