Jack Fletcher: Man Utd's teenage pass-master hoping to build a family dynasty at Old Trafford after turning his back on Man City

Jack and Tyler Fletcher were born on March 18, 2007, but despite their obvious United heritage, both players enrolled in the Manchester City academy from the age of seven. They were far from the only sons of famous United players who got part of their footballing education from City, as Robin van Persie's son Shaqueel and Phil Neville's son Harvey were also part of the same set-up at the time. City's academy was regarded as much stronger than United's, but the Red Devils have eventually rebuilt their reputation as a talent factory.

Jack made one appearance for City's U18s, side but shortly after his 16th birthday, he crossed the divide in the summer of 2023 along with Tyler, joining their father who had returned to United in 2020 and was technical director at the time. In his first season with the Red Devils, Jack was a key part of an all-conquering U18s side which won three trophies, including the national league title. He scored once and provided five assists in the U18 Premier League and played 90 minutes in the UEFA Youth League away to Galatasaray.

Fletcher began his second season at United playing for the U18s, and his biggest early test came in the EFL Trophy away to a Barnsley side comprised of senior professionals. Fletcher came off the bench in the second half with the Red Devils two goals down, but he soon helped them halve the deficit before inspiring them to a dramatic win.

He equalised in the 84th minute with a truly stunning strike, smashing in an improvised half-volley from some 30 yards with almost no time to think about his finish, and then struck again just three minutes later, taking down a throw-in and cutting inside onto his left foot to score.

Fletcher went on to score eight goals and provide seven assists across all competitions in 2024-15, with a right-footed rocket against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in the FA Youth Cup rivalling his strike against Barnsley.

Fletcher began training with the first team when Erik ten Hag was still manager, and was called into his first matchday squad under the Dutchman for the game against Brentford on October 2024. He continued to feature among the substitutes when Ruben Amorim became coach, and got his big chance in December 2025 when he was brought on in the second half at Aston Villa, becoming the club's 255th academy graduate.

He could not help United find a way back into the game as they lost 2-1, but it was a huge moment for him and his family as the Fletchers became the first father and son duo to both play for United in 60 years.

When Mason Mount pulled up injured at half-time in the following game against Newcastle, Fletcher was the first player Amorim looked to. "The best six days of my life," he said afterwards. 

The 18-year-old made his third appearance in a row when he again came on at the break against Wolves a few days later, though he failed to make an impact in the hugely disappointing 1-1 draw which spelled the beginning of the end for Amorim.

Curiously, he did not play against Burnley or Brighton when his father was in charge, with the interim coach keen to avoid accusations of favouritism towards his sons while Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes returned from injury at the same time.

Fletcher's main assets are his close control, his passing range and his ability to strike the ball. Although he has played on the right wing, he is most effective in central midfield as a No.8, where he can make the most of his superior passing range and his knack for switching the play in an instant.

His education at City's academy also helped him hone his skills for twisting away from opponents in tight spaces and made him resourceful with both feet.

Since joining United, Fletcher has become more direct and more influential. He was a regular set-piece taker at youth level, and it has served to make him more accurate at hitting targets from range, giving him the confidence to take daring long-range attempts such as those against Barnsley and Arsenal that he pulled off.

Fletcher has not found the step up from academy to first-team football easy, and he was the first to admit that he struggled to get to grips with the pace and power of Premier League opponents.

"I think it might take a while to adjust to the tempo and intensity," he said after facing Newcastle. "It was really tough out there, heavy on the legs, 45 minutes of defending, I think we did well. Hopefully, I can showcase my talent more."

He began to work on building his strength while at City with a conditioning coach and the work has continued at United, but he still has some way to go to adapt to the enormous leap between youth and senior football. Fletcher will also need to be braver on the ball, as the audacity he regularly showed for the U18s and U21s faded in his three senior games as he always took the safe option rather than trying to put his stamp on the game.

Left-footed central midfielders are a rarity these days, but Granit Xhaka is still flying the flag, aged 33. The Switzerland international has proven to be one of the smartest signings of the summer, fuelling Sunderland's brilliant return to the top-flight. And there are plenty of similarities between the man who bounced back from a chaotic few seasons at Arsenal by underpinning Bayer Leverkusen's stunning Bundesliga title win and Fletcher.

Both players love to dictate their team's play, being equally happy to keep things ticking over with short, controlling passes or launch quick attacks by switching the play. Fletcher has Xhaka's footballing brain and his knack for pulling out devastating long-range strikes from nowhere, but one thing he could learn from him to take the next step is by replicating his tenacity and his hunger to chase down opponents and disrupt the play.

Darren Fletcher was forever grateful to Amorim for giving Jack his chance, and while the 18-year-old might have been sad to see the Portuguese depart, the arrival of Carrick is good news for his hopes of getting back into the team. Carrick's Middlesbrough side put a big emphasis on possession and Fletcher's ability to keep the ball and stretch opponents will surely appeal to the former United midfielder.

Fletcher, who made his debut on the day that Mainoo and Fernandes suffered their injuries, might have to wait a while before getting his next opportunity now the midfielders are back, with the return of Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo from the Africa Cup of Nations further boosting squad numbers.

But even though he harbours dreams of emulating his father at Old Trafford, Fletcher's needs might best be served by seeking a loan move abroad to Spain or Italy, where technical midfielders are still lauded and given more room to breathe. With a year or two of regular football under his belt and increased exposure, he will be better prepared to have another crack at breaking into the United first team and holding down his place.

And by then, maybe Tyler will also be standing behind him, anchoring the midfield at Old Trafford.