Former Scotland captain Darren Fletcher will be available on a free transfer this summer.
That’s after his current club Stoke City decided not to renew his contract. The midfielder will depart the bet365 Stadium along with two other players, including former Rangers man Charlie Adam.
Celtic were linked with Fletcher in 2015 when the midfielder left Manchester United. Since then he has spent two years at both West Bromwich Albion and Stoke. The 35-year-old has also fallen out of the picture at international level, with his most recent cap coming in 2017.
Fletcher has played 42 games for Stoke over two seasons, scoring two goals.
His experience may come in handy
It’s no secret that the former Manchester United favourite’s best days are behind him. Injuries and continuing health problems caused by ulcerative colitis meant that he played just 10 times between November 2011 and December 2013. Things have been slightly better for Fletcher since then but he’s still not a player able to play game after game.
Fletcher can still count on some considerable experience though. He played in some of Europe’s most hostile environments when at Manchester United. Former Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson seemed to pick Fletcher anytime a big game came around.
It would therefore make sense for Celtic to add Fletcher to the squad. His European know-how could prove invaluable to the likes of Callum McGregor and Ryan Christie who are perhaps still to perform at that level.
It’s also no secret that Fletcher would like to get into management at some stage. Celtic could give him the ideal first step into that world. The likes of Shaun Maloney, Damien Duff and Kolo Toure have all started coaching careers at Celtic recently. Fletcher need just talk to them if he wants some advice.
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