Former Scotland captain Darren Fletcher takes charge of Manchester United under-18s

Former Scotland captain Darren Fletcher has been named as the lead coach of the Manchester United under-18s side.

Fletcher, who spent more than 20 years at Old Trafford as a player, has held numerous roles at the club in recent years.

He was appointed technical director in March 2021 before joining then-manager Erik ten Hag’s coaching staff after the arrival of Jason Wilcox last year, continuing to work with the first team under Ruben Amorim.

The former midfielder, who earned 80 international caps between 2003 and 2017, has recently been working as a bridge between the academy and the first team, but will now focus full-time on the development of United’s next generation.

“I am really excited to take on this new role and increase my responsibility to directly develop our young players,” the 41-year-old said.

“I’m looking forward to working with such a talented age group; supporting them to reach their potential and preparing them to enjoy careers at the highest level possible.”

Fletcher came through the United Academy himself before going on to make more than 340 appearances for the club, winning five Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup, Club World Cup and two League Cups.

His twin sons Tyler and Jack recently graduated from United’s under-18s to the under-21 set-up.

Director of football Wilcox said Fletcher was the ideal man for the under-18s role.

“He knows exactly what it takes to be a successful Academy graduate and has played a key role in shaping the pathway for so many of our young players in recent years,” Wilcox said.

“Darren’s excellent relationships across the entire staff will only increase the strong connection between the Academy and first team, further enhancing our ability to produce world-class players ready to excel at Manchester United.”

Fletcher replaces Adam Lawrence, who left the club at the end of last season as part of a wider shake-up at youth level following the exit of Academy boss Nick Cox, who has joined Everton.

Fletcher has started in his new role with immediate effect, taking charge of a training camp in Germany and a friendly against QPR at Carrington.