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Darren Fletcher on why West Brom feels right after Man Utd departure

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Darren Fletcher talks to Patrick Davison about leaving Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson and his high hopes for West Brom.

Darren Fletcher talks to Patrick Davison about leaving Manchester United, praise from Sir Alex Ferguson and his high hopes for West Brom...

He was late. I wouldn't normally mention it, especially since it was only by 15 minutes, and it genuinely was a particularly bad morning on the M6 down from Manchester where he still lives.

But the way he handled it seemed to confirm a lot of what you hear about Darren Fletcher. First, he called ahead to apologise and let us know he'd be there shortly.

Then, when he did arrive, he said sorry again.

He followed it with, 'Good to meet you, I'm Darren'. He didn't need to say that. It would have been an unusual move for Sky Sports to send a reporter who didn't even recognise him. But it's always a good sign when a player is humble and normal enough to introduce themselves .

These are only small things but, like I said, to me it seemed to back up everything I'd read and heard about a man who, after all, played 342 times for Manchester United. It's not just that no one has a bad word to say about him, they actually seem to go out of their way to say good things about him.

Can we get into Europe? Can we win a cup? I want to do things with West Brom that they haven't done before, or haven't done for a while.
Darren Fletcher

In his retirement address to the Old Trafford crowd, Sir Alex Ferguson mentioned just two players by name. One was Paul Scholes, who was calling it quits at the same time as his manager. The other was Fletcher - who he wished a speedy recovery - at a time when his career appeared to be in the balance.

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Diagnosed with the chronic bowel condition ulcerative colitis back in 2011, by the time Ferguson left in 2013 the long-term illness had already cost him two years in which he'd barely played. Fletcher had also undergone surgery.

"I had a lump in my throat when I heard him say that," says the midfielder, who says much of the credit for the man and player he's become goes to Ferguson.

"I was at home on the sofa with my Dad and we were both so shocked. People always want to know the secret of his success and he was just so good on the human side. That speaks volumes about why he was so great."

Darren Fletcher  of Manchester United in action during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Hull City
Image: Fletcher became one of Man Utd's 'go to players' in big games

He needed the surgery 'to even be able to leave the house or have a normal day'. Thankfully, it was a success - though Fletcher, who forced his way into the great United side of Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez and became one of Ferguson's go to players in big games, never had the same impact at Old Trafford again.

"I knew my time was up," says the four-time Premier League champion. "It would have been harder to leave if Sir Alex was still there, but the club had moved on.

"I enjoyed my time under Louis van Gaal and I learnt a lot, but it never happened for me under him."

Incidentally, Van Gaal is another one who speaks well of Fletcher. Saying he liked him as 'a human and a player' when allowing him to leave on a free transfer.

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And so, on to West Brom. He joined them in February, with the club in relegation trouble. Since then the Baggies have played 28 Premier League matches - Fletcher has played in every second of every single one of them.

"From day one it's felt right. I can't imagine myself anywhere else," says Fletcher, who at one stage looked to be heading for this weekend's opponents West Ham.

"It means a lot just to be playing and maybe even more from a health point of view that I've barely missed a training session since I've been here."

He's been as big for West Brom off the pitch as he has been on it. A relentless communicator during the 90 minutes, he's a big voice in the changing room and is more than keen to pass his experience on to the young players at the club. He seems the sort who might one day be a manager and admits he's 'always thought about coaching and the pathways into management'.

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Ed Chamberlin and Paul Merson preview the Super Sunday games which include West Ham v West Brom and Norwich v Arsenal.

His current manager Tony Pulis certainly thinks Fletcher is management material. He made the Scotland midfielder captain in his very first game and speaks of him about as fondly as I've ever heard a manager speak about a player.

"Darren is a wonderful person," said Pulis in a recent press conference. "Strong character, resilient, forthright. He has the right genes to be a manager."

Right now though, Fletcher's focus is West Brom and a season that took a considerable turn for the better with last weekend's win over Arsenal.

Darren Fletcher of West Bromwich Albion celebrates his team's 1-0 win in the Barclays Premier League match between Ast
Image: Fletcher joined West Brom at the end of the January transfer window

"Can we get into Europe? Can we win a cup? I want to do things with West Brom that they haven't done before, or haven't done for a while.

"The first job is always to avoid relegation but I want more than for us to be happy with being the fourth worst team in the league."

It's impossible not to be impressed with Darren Fletcher. Even when he's late.

Watch the full interview with Darren Fletcher on Super Sunday ahead of West Brom's clash with West Ham at 1pm on Sky Sports 1HD on Sunday.

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