John Fleck Article in The Daily Record

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Great article , they are absolutely correct , he loves the club & we love him!
 
Love the bit about walking into the pitch and knowing that it was the right club. Thinking about an opportunity like that is enough to give me touch on
 
Excellent article that. When I was a young lad I supported Man Utd, George Best was my hero and my first game ever was when my Dad took me to The Rust Bucket to see Georgie and Man Utd beat the Grunters at a night match 😆 Fast forward a couple of years to 1971 and my mates took me to BDTBL to see the Blades play my beloved Man Utd. Cant explain it but as soon as I walked into the stadium and on to the Kop I knew this was the place for me. I literally walked in a Man Utd fan and walked out a Blade for life, so I know how Flecky felt. He is now a Top Blade, which in my book is the ultimate accolade for a player. UTB
 
John Fleck on his mental strength that helped former Rangers kid finally reach Premier League potential
The midfielder was tipped to be the new Wayne Rooney when he made his Rangers debut at 15 and he's finally proving himself as a top class operator.
  • 06:00, 10 NOV 2019
  • Updated09:32, 10 NOV 2019
0_Premier-League-Sheffield-United-v-Burnley.jpg
(Image: Action Images via Reuters)
The midfielder was tipped to be the new Wayne Rooney when he made his Rangers debut at 15 and he's finally proving himself as a top class operator.

It feels like John Fleck has spent his entire career
 trying to fulfil his potential.

But now, more than a decade after making his debut for Rangers at just 15 years old, he’s done it.

Excelling in the English Premier League with Sheffield United and now a regular in the Scotland squad.

For anyone who doubted that Fleck would reach the top, he’s shut them up once and for all.

The ex-Ibrox midfielder is adored 
by the Blades fans and his boss Chris Wilder.

In fact, after picking him up for FREE from Coventry, Fleck is probably one of 
Wilder’s best pieces of business.



The 28-year-old has been a vital cog in the Bramall Lane side’s brilliant start to life back in the top flight.

It’s not easy going up against
 man-mountain midfielders like
 Fabinho, Morgan Schneiderlin and Mateo Kovacic, but Fleck wouldn’t swap it for the world, given how hard he’s had to work to get there.

After being hailed a wonder kid at Gers, he could easily have disappeared in England’s lower leagues.

Instead, he’s fought his way to the top and proved any doubters wrong.

GP7848284.jpg

Ahead of joining up with Scotlandfor the double header with Cyprus and Kazakhstan next week, Fleck told Mailsport: “I suppose, after all these years, you could say I’ve fulfilled the potential I showed as a kid.

“Listen, everyone had an opinion on me growing up. I always knew that if I worked as hard as I could in
 England, I’d get here and it would be deserved.

“I’ve always felt I could play at this level and I’ve shown that so far this season in the Premier League.

“Some young players with potential just fall away and don’t achieve
 anything, but I’ve always had a determination within me that if I worked hard I’d get the chance to play at the top level.

“Thankfully I picked the right club in Sheffield United to do that and
hopefully I can stay here now. At the start it was tough because I didn’t have the experience of playing at that level. You don’t really know what you’re going into.

“But after three or four games, as a team we started to gain a bit of
confidence. When the positive results come, that helps even more.

“There’s a difference in the strength and speed of the players in the Premier League.

“And because of their quality, if you make one or two mistakes you’re
guaranteed to concede.

“In the Championship you can get away with a few but not here.

“But the biggest thing is the
 athleticism. It’s not easy for a wee guy like me at 5ft 5ins – they’re all 6ft 5ins!

“I just try my best, run about and try to win as many tackles as I can.

“That’s all the manager here expects from you.”

0_18722724.jpg

(Image: SNS Group)
When Fleck left League One
 Coventry in 2016, the
 Premier League was the furthest thing from his mind.

He had to choose the right club to progress his career and take his game to another level.

And after just one afternoon with gaffer Wilder at Bramall Lane, his mind was made up.

He said: “When I left Coventry I had a few options elsewhere.

“But Sheffield United were always in my mind. I had the chance to go there when I left Rangers but the move fell through.

“The first time I met the manager at the ground, I walked out on to the pitch, just me and my agent.

“And when I walked off, I had this feeling that I can’t really explain.

“I just knew in my gut that I wanted to sign there. I decided straight away that it was the club for me. I signed the next day.

“At that point, getting to the Premier League wasn’t even in my head.

“I just knew it was a big club, a
stadium with a terrific atmosphere. And I knew they had good players having already played them.

“So I felt if it went in the right
direction, who knows what could
happen. It’s been unbelievable what’s happened since.”

Wilder has been a huge part of that with his no-nonsense approach to management.

Fleck has thrived under him and says his simplicity – in terms of what he demands – is what makes him a top boss.
He said: “The manager’s biggest quality is his honesty. Whenever you see him in the media – whatever he says there, he says the same to us.

“He doesn’t hide, there’s nothing fake about him. Everything’s straightforward with him.

“Of course, he’s got old school values. But he’s a very good coach and
manager as well.

“From a player’s point of view, you just want a gaffer to be honest with you and that’s what he is.

“Everything’s about hard work. You need to run for him if you want to play.

“It’s been a great start for us in the Premier League.

“We’re playing the same way
as we have done for three years, 
understanding that we’re up against better players.

“But it’s great that the manager has kept us
performing that way.”

Now Fleck wants to take his club form in to the international arena with Scotland.

He was forced to pull out of gaffer Steve Clarke’s first squad because he was getting married.

But the midfielder is adamant that his
commitment to his
country should never be questioned.

He said: “I’ve always felt strongly about playing for Scotland from when I was in the youth teams.

“When I was in League One I could understand why I wasn’t picked.

“But I always felt with Sheffield United that if we could get up the leagues I’d be in with a shout.

“It was a hard situation when I missed out because of the wedding.

“But before that I hadn’t been involved in Scotland squads. I couldn’t live my life around the international dates so it was just unfortunate.

“But Steve was fine about it as long as I was 100 per cent committed in the future and I said yes straight away.

“I told him I’ll be there whenever called upon.”
 
TCsLoveChild said:
Excellent article that. When I was a young lad I supported Man Utd, George Best was my hero and my first game ever was when my Dad took me to The Rust Bucket to see Georgie and Man Utd beat the Grunters at a night match
Click to expand...
Which one?


 
Silent Blade said:
Which one?


Click to expand...
Wow, thanks for putting those links in Silent :D It was the 1969 game. My Dad wanted to leave early to get back to the coach and I remember standing at the back of the stand near the exit just as Besty scored Man Utds 2nd, I told my Dad there was no way I was leaving before the end now and lo and behold Georgie boy got another to make it 3-1. I also went with all my Blades mates to the infamous Man U-Wednesday 4-4 game at The Sty in Dec 1974. We went on the East Bank thinking we were like 20 men for being so brave only to find literally thousands of Man Utd fans there already. Man U basically had both ends of the ground and the few Grunters on the kop were cowering in the bottom corner. There were loads of Blades on the Kop that day supporting Man U and taking the piss out of the Wendies 😂 Happy days. UTB
 
TCsLoveChild said:
Excellent article that. When I was a young lad I supported Man Utd, George Best was my hero and my first game ever was when my Dad took me to The Rust Bucket to see Georgie and Man Utd beat the Grunters at a night match 😆 Fast forward a couple of years to 1971 and my mates took me to BDTBL to see the Blades play my beloved Man Utd. Cant explain it but as soon as I walked into the stadium and on to the Kop I knew this was the place for me. I literally walked in a Man Utd fan and walked out a Blade for life, so I know how Flecky felt. He is now a Top Blade, which in my book is the ultimate accolade for a player. UTB
Click to expand...

Fickle! :rolleyes:

;) good choice though!
 
guancheblade said:
Best Tufty signing IMO
Click to expand...

Tough one that. If you go back about a year, there were lots on here asking what was wrong with Fleck and having a pop at him, even though he was still playing well imo, albeit a bit below his best. I'm glad he's back in the form of his life because he's such an important player for us and he's been a fantastic signing. I love the way he always looks to wrong foot an opponent and drive forward, rather than just pass it sideways or backwards. He really does drive us forward from that midfield, perhaps more so than any other of the midfielders. But, they are all different and complimentary to each other. No one quite has the vision and range of passing of Norwood. Lundstram looks like the real athlete in that midfield, getting box to box really well now and putting himself in some great scoring positions. And Basham, well...he's just Basham, don't know where he's going to pop up or what he's going to do, but it's mostly very good!:D
 

Cerberus Blade said:
Tough one that. If you go back about a year, there were lots on here asking what was wrong with Fleck and having a pop at him, even though he was still playing well imo, albeit a bit below his best. I'm glad he's back in the form of his life because he's such an important player for us and he's been a fantastic signing. I love the way he always looks to wrong foot an opponent and drive forward, rather than just pass it sideways or backwards. He really does drive us forward from that midfield, perhaps more so than any other of the midfielders. But, they are all different and complimentary to each other. No one quite has the vision and range of passing of Norwood. Lundstram looks like the real athlete in that midfield, getting box to box really well now and putting himself in some great scoring positions. And Basham, well...he's just Basham, don't know where he's going to pop up or what he's going to do, but it's mostly very good!:D
Click to expand...

I hear ya (although Basham was a Clough signing).

I'm secretly hoping Mousset turns out to be his best ever business.
 
guancheblade said:
I hear ya (although Basham was a Clough signing).

I'm secretly hoping Mousset turns out to be his best ever business.
Click to expand...
Your secret is out now mate! :)

Me too. I said he looked a class above based on the first few glimpses of him this season. He’s got pace and strength, something we’ve not had in the side for a while. I’d love to see us add a bit more of that up front, or as an attacking midfielder.

I was impressed with Traore at Wolves. I know he’s not available, but the addition of that kind of player who has lightning pace and good dribbling ability would be a great boost to an already very good squad.
 
“Everything’s about hard work. You need to run for him if you want to play".

If it really is as simple as Fleck suggests, perhaps this should be a Mantra for McBurnie, Robinson and others, trying to get on the start list?
 
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