Darren Fletcher in negotiations to become boss of Manchester United’s Under-18s | OneFootball

Former Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher is reportedly in talks to become the new manager of the Under-18s side.

The position has been vacant since last month, when United confirmed the departure of Adam Lawrence.

Lawrence left to seek greener pastures elsewhere after an incredibly successful stint at United, in which his team won the treble in 2023/24. In their announcement, United explained that the process to appoint a new Lead Coach was underway.

Now, The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell has confirmed that Fletcher has been picked to succeed Lawrence and is currently in discussions with the club over a new set of duties.

It’s understood Fletcher was offered the job by director of football Jason Wilcox and outgoing director of academy Nick Cox.

Whitwell notes, “Fletcher, 41, could have stayed as a first-team coach in Ruben Amorim’s staff but he is expected to decide now is the right time to take on a lead coach role and support the club in filling a key vacancy.”

“Under Amorim, Fletcher assisted on sessions and offered guidance to players and analysts, whereas in this proposed new role he would, for the first time in his career, plan and pick teams in a crucial age group in United’s academy, including in the FA Youth Cup.”

Wilcox and Cox believe Fletcher is the right fit for a sensitive position that calls for a mix of abilities, guiding players as they mature and edge closer to the senior squad.

The report adds that Fletcher harbours ambitions of becoming a manager one day and this is a crucial step towards achieving that goal.

The ex-Scotland international could have taken on this role earlier, but with his twin sons Jack and Tyler still in the youth teams, there were understandable concerns about oversight.

Now that Tyler and Jack have progressed to the Under-21s, those concerns no longer apply.

Fletcher himself came through the ranks at United and went on to make 342 senior appearances for the club, scoring 24 goals in the process.

He helped the Red Devils win five Premier League titles, an FA Cup, League Cup, a Champions League title and the Club World Cup.

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