Fletcher considered leaving United

Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher has revealed that he considered leaving the club in the summer.

The 25-year-old met with manager Sir Alex Ferguson for talks about his future and left having agreed to sign a new three-year contract.

“It was a difficult summer,” he told the Manchester Evening News.

“I had that ambition first and foremost but at the same time, I didn’t want to tie myself into a long contract if I was only going to be playing for 10 games a season.

“I didn’t want to see that as my future. I am not a youngster anymore. That is all right when you are 18 or 19.

“It’s okay picking up games then and getting experience but at my age now I really needed to be playing the majority of games.

“People might say you are silly and that if United are offering you a contract why are you thinking about going.

“People were telling me I’d be stupid to go, but I am a footballer and I want to play. So I had a decision that was right for me and my family.

“I didn’t want to be going home to my girlfriend in a bad mood because I hadn’t been playing. You have to sit down and think about your future sometimes.

“Although it’s great to be at United and winning things you also want to feel as though you have done something and played a big part in achieving that success.

“You don’t want to just go along for the ride and scraping enough games together to get a medal. But it is hard to let go at United.

“The manager and me spoke about it. I only had a year left on my contract so I had a big decision to make.

“The boss assured me I was needed and I was a vital asset and there were different qualities I could bring to the midfield.

“Of course there wasn’t a guarantee that I would definitely play more matches. He cannot guarantee you that, but I just thought I’d give it another go. I believe I can do it and that is my attitude. It was a good decision.”

[Source: Manchester Evening News]