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Manchester United prospect Tyler Fletcher, whose father Darren served as both a midfielder and interim manager at the club, has received a late call-up to Scotland's World Cup squad.
The teenager, aged 19, made two substitute appearances for United this campaign, helping maintain the club's 88-year tradition of fielding a homegrown academy player in a matchday squad, but had appeared set to miss out on the tournament after being left out of Steve Clarke's final 26-man selection.
However, a knee injury suffered by ex-Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Billy Gilmour, currently at Napoli, created an opening for Fletcher, and his addition to the squad was announced on Saturday evening following Scotland's commanding 4–1 friendly victory over Curaçao, who will be making their World Cup debut this summer.
Clarke described himself as "devastated" for Gilmour, calling the timing of his knee injury "so, so cruel," while former Man Utd midfielder Scott McTominay, also a Napoli player, urged Gilmour to "keep his head up."
Son Follows in Father's Footsteps
Fletcher featured in the second half of Scotland's dominant victory over Curaçao at Hampden Park, treading the same path as his father. Darren accumulated 80 caps for Scotland between 2003 and 2017, yet never had the chance to play at a World Cup—his son will now have the possibility of featuring against group stage rivals Haiti, Morocco and Brazil, the same nation Scotland faced in their previous World Cup outing in 1998.
"Tyler came on, and I can't speak highly enough of him," Scotland teammate Kenny McLean said of the youngster after the match. "I said to the lads after his first session, 'I can see something special in him,' so I was glad he got on after the week he has had. In my first couple of Scotland squads I played with his dad. And, for me, in my first session, he [Darren] stood out a mile.
"Fortunately for Scotland, his son is pretty similar. There is a lot of potential there. It's about using him in the right way. Hopefully he does that back at his club and then when he comes away here and when he gets the opportunity, he makes the impact he has this week."
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While Fletcher's call-up may raise eyebrows given his limited senior experience, it is evident that United also regard him as a player of considerable promise.
Fletcher was named among the substitutes for 11 of the club's final 14 matches, having first been included in a matchday squad by then-manager Ruben Amorim on Boxing Day last year. He was later handed his debut by Michael Carrick in the victory over Tottenham Hotspur in February, coming on as a replacement for Kobbie Mainoo, who withdrew late.
Notably, Fletcher's twin brother Jack has opted to represent England at international level. Whether he ultimately earns a place in the Three Lions squad remains uncertain, but Tyler's confidence will be soaring after a rewarding few weeks that saw him named United's reserve team player of the year before appearing on the final day of the Premier League season against Brighton.