Man Utd’s Under-18 manager Darren Fletcher sat down for an interview ahead of the FA Youth Cup final against Man City.
Darren Fletcher could guide United to FA Youth Cup glory.(Image: 2026 Manchester United FC)
Darren Fletcher sat down for an interview at Carrington just a few hours after it was controversially announced the FA Youth Cup final would be played at the 7,000-seater Joie Stadium, not the Etihad.
Manchester City‘s communications department received a courtesy message from Manchester United that Fletcher was already scheduled to speak to a handful of reporters who cover the academy.
The decision not to host the final at the Etihad was quickly met with backlash by United fans, and the club did not want it to seem like they’d wheeled Fletcher into a room to criticise the decision to external media.
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“I think we tried [to host it] because we really wanted a big stadium. Old Trafford would have been an amazing occasion for the players, everyone,” Fletcher said.
“So obviously we’re disappointed, because I think part of this competition is about playing in these big venues, and it’s a massive competition. It’s amazing for everyone involved in youth football.
“It’s got special history, players who have won it still talk about it now to this day, even if they’ve won Premier Leagues, they talk about how amazing it was to win with their youth team and their friends.”
Fletcher said the chance to play in big arenas was important for development. “We have probably noticed it’s a learning experience for the players, how they feel it, and how they find it difficult at times,” he added.
“Unfortunately it’s not the case this time, so we’ll take on the challenge of dealing with the disappointment, and it’s another challenge for the players to deal with, and we’ll move on pretty quickly.”
United’s Class of ’26 will arrive at Joie Stadium potentially spurred on by the decision not to play the game at the Etihad, not to mention the added motivation of narrowly losing the league title to City.
Fletcher has a strong team at his disposal, with the likes of JJ Gabriel, Chido Obi, Jim Thwaites, Noah Ajayi, Dan Armer and Godwill Kukonki, who have all spent time with the first-team in recognition of their progression.
Every United team to reach a Youth Cup final had a talisman: the competition provided a platform to Duncan Edwards, George Best, Ryan Giggs, Ravel Morrison and Alejandro Garnacho. This crop of players has 15-year-old Gabriel, who has scored 26 goals in 28 appearances this season.
“JJ’s an amazing talent and his enthusiasm for football, the enthusiasm that he brings to the pitch every day to learn, to want to play, to be on the ball…. He’s been a pleasure to work with,” said Fletcher.
“He’s a fantastic kid. I think we have to remember he’s a kid. And also that he’s been part of a really good team, and the players have helped him as well. We’ve got a lot of good players in that team.
“JJ has scored the goals, and goals always get the limelight. He’s an amazing talent with a major future and somebody I’ve enjoyed working with immensely, like I have done with all the players. I think JJ has recognised the amount of help he’s had from teammates as well.
“The team has given him the ball into those positions to score goals. In terms of the way the team have played, he’s bought into it, as all the attacking players have with the out-of-possession stuff.
“They’ve bought into the real team ethos as well, so amazing individual qualities that we want to develop and lots of great players and JJ is one of them who scored lots of goals and put in amazing performances.
“We have a couple of games to go, but what a season he’s had, and I’m excited for his future more than anyone, but he’s a young kid, and he keeps developing. He’s desperate to do better, to improve, to learn.
“He takes constructive criticism fantastically, and I’ve got a great relationship with him.”
The Manchester Evening News reported in March that United are planning to involve Gabriel in pre-season this summer, while there is a growing feeling that he will be given a senior debut in the first half of next season.
“I don’t know really,” said Fletcher when asked what the future looks like for Gabriel. “I think it’s something that people above me will decide. I think all our players are capable of going on pre-season.
“I think in terms of not just JJ, it’ll just depend on who’s selected, what that looks like and what he needs for his next step, really. I think getting variation in your development is really important. We want him to go up there and thrive.
“I think we need to get him in the position to do that, and even if he doesn’t, that’s not the end of the world either, really. So I think youth development is really poignant for these things.
“We always need to be careful of making sure it’s at the right time and understanding why, and what the needs are, and being really careful with them because once you get thrown in there, then you’re judged very, very quickly, rightly or wrongly.
“It’s important that we do right by his development. JJ’s more than capable, as are a lot of our young players, to go [on pre-season]. They all get experience with the first-team. I think it goes under the radar how much our young players get tastes of the first-team. It’s good for development.”
Obi is one who has had more than a taste of the first team, making eight senior appearances. But United decided that the striker would play exclusively in academy fixtures this season to support his development.
Although Obi began the campaign with the Under-21s, he dropped down to the U18s for the first time in 11 months to play the opening Youth Cup fixture in December, which was a statement of intent in the competition.
He has started in every Youth Cup fixture, juggling the competition with appearances for the U21s, but the 18-year-old made a rare league start for the U18s against City in February after texting Fletcher asking to play.
Fletcher explained: “The most pleasing thing about that one with Chido was, I think the U21 game got cancelled the day before, and he messaged me wanting to play [for the U18s], so I think that was amazing.
“It was amazing for Chido to want to play in the game, to not think the U18s is beneath him in any way, and that just shows how mature he is as a lad, which comes with age. His development has been great.
“I think you see him in the U18s, off the ball, his tactical understanding, his improvement in all parts of the game as a striker. We know he can score goals, but developing the other areas, his hold-up play, his linking.
“I think in the last few games for me, his link-up play has been fantastic, he’s been supplying assists for his teammates, so that shows a maturity and a leadership in terms of that role. And he does become a leader in our group as well because of his age and experience.”
Asked what Obi had to do next for a first-team breakthrough, Fletcher said: “As I said before, I think you have to just mature as a player. I think it’s great that he went in so young, and it’s amazing to learn from that.
“I think everyone in here will say, you still have to improve in all parts of your game, and he’ll still have to do that. I think we can look at Chido and his size, but we forget how young he is. In terms of his development and coaching, it’s been fast-tracked a little bit, but there’s no right or wrong way.
“People go up, come back down. The most important thing is you keep developing and improving and becoming the player you can be. So for me, keep improving in every way, but to transfer what he does at U18 and U21 level into men’s football. That’s the jump that all young players have to make.”
Thwaites is another talented member of the U18 dressing room who has hopes of making the ‘jump’ to the first-team next season. The midfielder travelled to Ireland for a four-day training camp in April, and Michael Carrick subsequently named him on the bench against Chelsea.
The 18-year-old played 120 minutes in the Youth Cup semi-final and was informed after the game that he would travel to Chelsea the following morning to be involved with the first-team.
“Jimmy’s had a great season, moving around to different positions as well,” said Fletcher. “We started him as a number six a little bit deeper. We were getting him on the ball, we encouraged him to improve his range of passing, given him the opportunities to do that.
“And then he’s obviously had a taste of going higher up the pitch to play a little bit higher up, so again developing in different areas. I think he has really enjoyed playing as a number six, getting on the ball and dictating the tempo of the game and improving his range of passing.
“He’s just another who’s developed fantastically and been a real leader in the team as well. The second years have been brilliant for the first years in terms of showing that leadership, but I could speak about so many of them.
“People talk about JJ, Dan Armer, Amir Ibragimov, Albert Mills, Yuel Helafu, Godwill Kukonki and Noah Ajayi – all of them have had great seasons, and even some of the lads haven’t played as much when they’ve come in, like Jay McEvoy Jariyah Shah and Junior Brown, they’ve had fantastic seasons.
“They’ve all performed to a high level. I don’t really have any players who’ve struggled this year. They’re all thriving, and it’s just sometimes selection that gets them annoyed with me because they’re not playing them.”
Fletcher has thoroughly enjoyed working with the U18s this season. He briefly left the role to manage the first-team as caretaker, but felt it was the right choice to return instead of joining Carrick’s backroom staff. Carrick has been a visible presence at academy games since his appointment.
“I think all players love it when the first-team manager is there. It does give you an extra incentive, there’s no doubt about it,” Fletcher said.
“It shows that he cares, it shows he’s got eyes on it. When they see Michael at the game, it definitely inspires the players, it definitely shows them that this is a club that is thinking about young players and not just speaking it and saying it. I think that’s throughout the history of the club.
“When you see that in action, it brings it to life really. I think the parents like it, I think it’s so powerful, and Michael realises that and ultimately, as I said, they’re so invested in every part of the club because they know it and they want it all to be successful. We want all parts of the club to be successful.
“Of course the first-team is the most important, but I think everyone likes to see coaches thriving, players thriving, staff thriving. We’re all trying to push and help each other and make the club a better place.”
Carrick is set to attend the Youth Cup final at the Joie Stadium on Thursday night. It’s just a shame there won’t be more fans there to see the first all-Manchester final in the competition for 40 years.
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2026-05-13 07:00:00
