Football
Richard Jolly, ESPN.com writer 10y

Darren Fletcher dreaming of UCL final

Darren Fletcher hopes he will realise his boyhood dream by ending his long wait to play in a Champions League final this year.

#INSERT type:image caption:Darren Fletcher did not play in Manchester United's Champions League finals in 2008, 2009 or 2011. END#

Message to Moyes: Gamble

Manchester United have played in three of the past six finals, but the Scotland captain has missed all of them and so the 30-year-old has a particular incentive to knock out Bayern Munich in Wednesday's quarterfinal second leg.

Fletcher was an unused substitute in the 2008 and 2011 finals and was suspended in 2009, when he would have been almost certain to start after being wrongly sent off in the semifinal second leg against Arsenal.

"For whatever reasons, I've not managed to play in a final," he said at a news conference in Munich.

"Different circumstances have prevented me from playing in three of them. It's been a dream of mine since I was a small boy to play in a Champions League final and winning [on Wednesday] takes us into the semifinals and gets you closer to achieving that.

"But it's more important that the club and team get there than individuals and, if the team get there, then you do your best in the games and hope that you're selected to play in it."

Fletcher has only appeared for eight minutes in the Champions League this season but could stand in for the injured Marouane Fellaini in United's midfield

But he has played in the Allianz Arena before, when United lost 2-1 in 2010 before going out of the quarterfinal tie on away goals.

"It's a big disappointment looking back," he said. "There was nothing in the game out here but we lost two late goals which were quite sloppy. Then, after dominating the second leg, we were unfortunate to go out, I think.

"There is regret, but there's regret every time you lose in the Champions League. But that is one I look back on and think it was a real missed opportunity because of how well we played over the two legs."

^ Back to Top ^