Darren Fletcher: 'I regret leaving Manchester United'

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 30 March 2017

West Bromwich Albion captain Darren Fletcher admits that he regrets leaving Manchester United, but says that he did so in search of more regular first-team football.

West Bromwich Albion captain Darren Fletcher has admitted that he regrets leaving Manchester United.

The 33-year-old came through the ranks with the Red Devils, spending almost 20 years at the club before joining the Baggies on a free transfer in February 2015.

The Scotland international had only made four Premier League starts under Louis van Gaal during the first half of the season and revealed that a lack of game time was his main reason for leaving.

"Do I have regrets about leaving United? Well, I wish I had listened to Louis van Gaal during the first three games and played the way he wanted me to play, rather than playing silly passes at 0-0 in an attempt to win the game. But seriously, I do look back with a little bit of regret because I actually thought I played really well for six months under [David] Moyes and Ryan Giggs," he told ESPN FC.

"I really surprised myself, so maybe I was due a drop-off at some point and that perhaps came at the start of the following season. But to be honest, I don't think I was ever in Van Gaal's plans in the first place. I probably surprised him in preseason and that enabled me to stay when a lot of other players left, but ultimately, I couldn't stay and not play. I would have been a bit-part player.

"That's what I was for six months and it was really getting to me. It wasn't a case of me being patient, I just couldn't see a way of out it. I needed a new challenge. I was seen as a voice around the place, a good guy and all that, but I just felt that I had a lot more football in me and I wanted to get out and give myself a chance to play. It was nothing personal. I just felt the time was right to start a new challenge."

Fletcher has not missed a single Premier League match since joining West Brom.