No Ugarte? No problem – Man Utd’s in-house prospect is already smashing the glass ceiling

It’s very easy to overhype a young baller who demonstrates even a crumb of talent at youth level, so when they share the last name of a club icon, expectations are immensely difficult to temper.

When you throw in the fact that this player in particular is doing that in Manchester United’s academy, we’ve got a recipe for disaster forming.

That, or we’re witnessing the kitchen that is Carrington cooking up a generational talent who was destined to be a Red Devil.

Flashy signings are great and success is never to be scoffed at, but there’s just something extra special about an in-house talent. adidas recently marketed the release of United’s brand new third kit by claiming that ‘you can’t beat an original’ and after witnessing a second-generation start kick off his 2024-25 season with a bang, we wholeheartedly agree.

Jack Fletcher rather controversially began his football career in east Manchester with United’s noisy neighbours, but officially swapped blue for red alongside twin brother Tyler in the summer of 2023 and has flown ever since.

An impressive debut campaign saw him very quickly punch above his weight and break in at under-18 level, and a rampant start to the current campaign has confirmed that Fletcher at United feels like a more natural fit than a Ferrari parked outside the Monte Carlo Casino.

Not too dissimilar from the Prancing Horse, Fletcher’s classy exterior – an armoury of tidy passes and a wicked ability to carry the ball – hides an aggressive and punchy interior, juiced up to the gills with power, precision and an X-factor that’ll leave your jaw swinging.

We’re not sure of the exact numbers, but we’d be willing to bet that there’s some seriously high horsepower in the youngster’s left foot, which was responsible for not one but two goals as United’s under-21s beat Barnsley 3-2 in the first round of the EFL Trophy.

A late and rather dramatic rally saw the young Red Devils score three goals in the final 10 minutes of the game to come behind from 2-0 down, showcasing the fighting spirit of the great United teams before them.

It’s almost poetic, then, that Fletcher – whose father Darren was involved in so many of those comebacks under Sir Alex Ferguson – was the man to spearhead the revival with his brace from midfield.

What stood out, though, was his thunderb*stard half-volley from 35 yards out to level the game.

Thirty-five yards out.

WHAT A GOAL 🤩

Jack Fletcher, son of former midfielder Darren, scores twice including stunning 35-yard strike in Manchester United U21's 3-2 comeback victory over Barnsley 🔴 pic.twitter.com/RaUdz1GQKL

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) August 20, 2024

You can have the flashy boots. You can have the cool haircuts. You can even have all the media attention in the world as they drum you up to be the next big thing.

What you can’t stop, however, is the inevitable. And what feels very inevitable right now is the Fletcher bloodline going one generation deeper at United, with a turbocharged left foot to smash any glass ceilings along the way.

READ NEXT: The last 10 players Man Utd signed from European powerhouses – & how they fared

TRY A QUIZ: Can you name Man Utd’s top Premier League goalscorer for every initial?

With performances like the one young Jack put in off the bench against Barnsley – his first foray into under-21 action – we can’t see it being long before he’s blitzed his way through another age group and forced his way onto the first-team training pitch for his potential to shine through.

United are hot and bothered in tense negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain for the transfer of Manuel Ugarte, but if the club really wants to get back to where they belong, perhaps the blueprint is already right before their eyes.

Kobbie Mainoo reopened the forbidden door and Toby Collyer has followed him through. We expect the blonde-haired destroyer to leave his mark this season, but there is no reason why Jack Fletcher cannot do the same in a long and gruelling campaign.

There are no guarantees in football and there are certainly no handouts just because of your last name. If anything, Fletcher needs to work harder to carve out his own legacy.

But such a show-stealing moment is confirmation that he’s got all the tools to go as far as his dreams will allow him, as early as 2024-25.

By Mitch Wilks