Paddy Crerand: Loss of Darren Fletcher a blow for Manchester United and Scotland

Paddy Crerand and his fellow chroniclers of the fortunes of Manchester United were aware something was up when they glanced down at the teamsheet ahead of the Old Trafford side’s fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

Darren Fletcher’s name was missing. This fact, coupled with his non-appearance on a crucial Champions League evening in Basel last Wednesday, meant fears that Fletcher was set for another period of absence were raised. No-one, not even someone as well informed as Crerand, knew the full story, however.

Crerand, who made over 300 appearances for Manchester United and now works as an analyst for the club’s television station, sounded as downhearted as anyone could yesterday when contacted by the The Scotsman.

He had just learnt the full extent of problems that have afflicted Fletcher since March, when his absence from the team was attributed to an unspecified virus. The reason the Scotland captain has been such a bit-part player for most of this year is that he has been suffering from a chronic bowel condition. The wonder is that he played as many games as he did while struggling with ulcerative colitis.

“This is totally out of the blue for me,” said Crerand. “At this club everyone keeps their cards very close to their chest. I know Darren well. I have watched him regularly since he started coming to Manchester United at aged 14 – I said then that this kid is going to be a star.”

Fletcher was once one of the targets for some severe criticism from then skipper Roy Keane on MUTV. The programme had to be pulled from the schedule. Crerand works for the station and won’t hear a word against the player, who he rates as a vital component in United’s battle to retain the title in the face of such a stiff challenge from neighbours Manchester City.

“Why wasn’t he in the frame for the last couple of games? Everyone was wondering,” said Crerand. “He is such an important player for Manchester United, you would not believe. United have so many people out injured – Nemanja Vidic, who has been the outstanding player all season, gets a bad injury last Wednesday [against FC Basel], and now Darren. They are two players who are so, so important for Manchester United. And we are under pressure from this lot across the road here.

“Darren is the heartbeat of the side and a great lad in the bargain as well,” added Crerand. “I am astounded.”

The extent of Fletcher’s contribution to both Manchester United and Scotland in recent months is another reason for astonishment. He has made ten appearances for United so far this campaign. Remarkably, he also played five crucial games for Scotland, lasting the full 90 minutes in three of them.

Having originally been ruled out of the must-win match against Liechtenstein because of what was described as a bout of tonsillitis, Fletcher then made a surprise recovery. Rather then preserve his energy for the game with Spain in midweek he flew to Zurich and arrived at the team hotel in St Gallen on the eve of the Liechtenstein encounter.

“You know something? I met him at blooming Manchester airport,” recalled Crerand, who won 16 caps for Scotland and was recently inducted in the Scotland football Hall of Fame.

“Darren was en route. I said: ‘where the hell are you going?’ And he said: ‘I am just going to meet up with the Scotland team. I was totally shocked, and it said everything about Darren Fletcher the person. I was going to a United supporters’ dinner in Iceland and there he was, off to do his national duty with Scotland.”

At the time, Fletcher said he was glad he no longer felt he had to be Scotland’s Roy of the Rovers, given the emergence of other English Premier League Scottish stars such as Liverpool’s Charlie Adam. But, unbeknown to nearly all, he was still required to put in a super-human effort just to complete games, never mind star in them.

He led the team out against Liechtenstein and contributed to the 1-0 win which kept alive Scotland’s hopes of qualifying for Euro 2012. Now we learn that Fletcher would have been considered a serious doubt to take part had Scotland reached a first major finals since 1998. After missing two Champions League finals, the first because of an unjust suspension, this would have been too heart-wrenching to bear for the player.

“For someone to over come all these misfortunes and then be struck down with this, it is so sad,” said Crerand. “If you go out on the streets of Manchester now then all the United fans will be on the floor with this news. He is such an important player. Any team will suffer without Darren Fletcher, be it United or Scotland.

“Most of the managers at other top clubs don’t like Darren Fletcher because he was their biggest problem when he played against them, because of his energy, his ability and his intelligence,” he continued. “He was the type of player you wanted on your team but you didn’t want to play against you. He’s a lad who is dedicated to the game – he doesn’t drink and doesn’t smoke.”

“The last time I saw him it looked as though he had lost a bit of weight again, and he doesn’t have any weight to lose.”

No time scale for Fletcher’s return has been mentioned by either Manchester United or Scotland. Craig Levein, the Scotland manager, simply stressed that the captain remains “a central part of our plans for the World Cup 2014 qualifiers”, with these games scheduled to begin in September.

As far as Crerand is concerned, the sooner the better. He admits the statement released by United yesterday points to a prolonged absence. “Clubs don’t make statements like that if it’s just for a fortnight,” he said, with Ferguson likely to make his first comment on the subject of Fletcher’s now confirmed illness prior to this weekend’s match at Queens Park Rangers.

“Darren’s enthusiasm rubs off on everyone,” Crerand added. “I don’t speak to Alex [Ferguson] all the time. I speak to him after a game. I don’t ask him about players and who is injured and who is not. That’s not my business. But this weekend I will certainly ask him about Darren.

“He [Fletcher] is like a son to him. You know Alex travelled all the way up to his bloody front door in Dalkeith when he heard Newcastle were also interested in signing him. That is how important the manager thought he was as a kid. And even now, I am sure at every important game United played before this illness Alex put his name down on the team-sheet first.

“I am just disappointed personally too,” Crerand added. “I have two sons and two grandsons who are United fans, and they will be broken-hearted.”