Part two every word from Darren Fletcher press conference | Man Utd v Brighton | 9 January 2026

You’ve previously been the technical director here, and you’ve been working in the Academy for around five years, I believe. So, are you not surprised that you’re not the obvious choice for the interim manager role? After all, isn’t that why you’re here, to sort of learn about the club? You know the club inside out. Are you not surprised they haven’t come to you and said please do the rest of the season?
 
“No, I was surprised I got offered for the two games because I wasn’t expecting it. I don’t think like that. I think about the job that I’ve got in hand, I really do. So, it wasn’t something that was on my radar at all. But when I do get asked to do it, I know that I can do it. I know that I’m comfortable doing it. I know the environment. I believe in myself. I feel like I’ve learned a lot in the five years that I’ve been here. I’ve had great experiences as a player. I’ve taken my time to develop and learn as a coach and other parts of things off the field, which I’m glad I’ve done, because I think it’s put me in a great position now, or a better position now than it would have been five years ago. So I’ve had five years of learning under good coaches and good people, and as I said, I feel like I’ve developed a rounded approach to the game of football, and I’m comfortable in a lot of different situations: academy, technical, or obviously coaching and leading. Honestly, it’s two games. I’m the obvious choice for these two games, hopefully. But that’s all my focus and energy is going on just now. Anything beyond that is out of my control.”
 
How have you found this experience, because it’s such an all-consuming job, and has it made you think that in the future you would like to be a permanent number one down the line, or are you desperate to get back to the Under-18s, where the spotlight and the pressure are maybe a little less?
 
“I’ve always been quite relaxed about my future. I’ve enjoyed it. I really have. I’ve enjoyed the challenge of it. It’s amazing. I’ve tried to relish it. I’ve tried to go with my instincts. As I said, I think I’m quite well-prepared, and I’ve always tried to prepare myself to be a manager in the future. It’s something I always thought that I would maybe be quite good at, or something I’d enjoy doing, or enjoy the challenge of. But at the same time, I wanted to be really careful and make sure I was ready for that if that moment came, but it’s not something I’m saying I’m desperate to do. I think circumstances in life dictate that. Where you’re at yourself personally, health, family, lots of different factors dictate that. Like I say, I’ve got two young boys at the start of their footballing career, where that takes them. I’ve got another set of young twin girls, which takes up a lot of my time. So yeah, those things are on my mind really, and I’ve experienced how intense it is being a manager for less than a week. There’s not much time for much outside family life and football. So I want to prepare myself to be a manager, and that opportunity might come for me one day, and I know I’ll be ready to do it, but if it doesn’t, I’ll be more than comfortable with that, and if it remains, staying as the Under-18s coach, I’m really happy. I enjoy doing that, and I’m going to help develop players from Manchester United.”