Darren Fletcher clarifies Manchester United role and hails young talent at club

Manchester United’s technical director Darren Fletcher has clarified his role amid some confusion among fans about what the man who interviewed Ralf Rangnick for the interim manager’s job actually does alongside the German.

Fletcher was appointed to his current role last year but, after the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the 38-year-old has been present in the dugout during matches and out on the training pitch with Rangnick and his coaching staff.

Rangnick himself has admitted that he is unsure about what Fletcher's overall actual role is at the club but made a point of saying his input in training sessions and at games has been helpful. “In those areas, it is good to have him on board,” Rangnick said.

Speaking at a Fans' Forum held at Old Trafford on Friday, Fletcher said: “With Ralf and his staff coming in, and Michael [Carrick] and Kieran [McKenna] choosing to move on, we had a quick transition process, so part of my role has been to assist with that, both on the training pitch and during games.

“I guess that’s been the most visible part for me this season, but that’s really an addition to my overall technical director role. Probably the key part of the role is taking a holistic view of the path for players from our academy to our first team. That pipeline of academy talent is a massive part of who we are [and the player who has] prospered most under Ralf Rangnick is Anthony Elanga.

“Anthony has done brilliantly since he broke into the first team, and Hannibal Mejbri has also been more involved in the squad,” said Fletcher, who also acknowledged the support from United fans in Madrid last week when Elanga’s song was sung non-stop after he equalised.

Fletcher also insisted that United’s youth system is in good