How Steven Fletcher spotted Dylan Levitt's Manchester United hallmarks after one day at Dundee United
Fletcher rolled a backheel into the midfielder’s path to open the scoring at Kilmarnock in a positive first impression for season 2022-23. But the midfielder had already made an immediate impact on the veteran striker as soon as he joined United for training in St Andrews.
Levitt signed for Dundee United permanently this summer, leaving their namesakes in Manchester after a successful loan at Tannadice last season.
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Hide AdAnd while he doesn’t say much, his upbringing in England does all the talking he needs on the pitch, as Fletcher quickly realised.
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"The way he takes the ball – I have played with a lot of young kids down in England and it’s a natural thing for them. You can see he’s come from a good Academy, the way he moves the ball and the way he moves his body, he makes it look so easy.
"I had seen clips of him and stuff but I knew straight away as soon as I came in, that first training session, I knew he had a bit of quality.
"He’s a great wee player and if he is going to back me up like that on the edge of the box, I’ll take that all day.
“He doesn’t speak very much, but when he does it’s obviously important and I heard him at the last minute – I was trying to get a shot off – so I trickled a little backheel into him and hoped for the best."
Levitt did the rest by smashing a strike past Sam Walker, but United were undone in the second half, first by Ian Harkes’ red card and then by Ash Taylor’s injury time equaliser.
United welcome AZ Alkmaar to Tannadice in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday and it could be another opportunity for Levitt to exhibit his talents, says Fletcher.
“We know it will be a tough game, they’re a good team. We have to enjoy it – especially some of the young lads, it’s a good opportunity to show what they can do in Europe.”
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