Jack, Darren Fletcher’s 17-year-old son, scored two goals in three minutes to turn a defeat into a victory for Manchester United’s U21 team against Barnsley in the EFL Trophy.
Travis Binnion’s young players were eliminated from this tournament in the group stage last season and had a poor start this year against their League One opponents. Welsh teenager Vimal Yoganathan scored two goals in the first half—his first goals in his career—putting the Tykes in control.
The score remained 2-0 as the match entered the final 10 minutes, when Ethan Ennis pulled one back for U21 Man Utd. Then, Fletcher took control of the match, first equalizing with a shot from outside the box and later capitalizing on Barnsley’s tired defense to score the decisive goal.
Man United will have to wait another month for their next match in this tournament, but they have a good chance to progress further. Their next opponent is Doncaster Rovers on September 24, followed by a trip to Huddersfield on November 12.
Fletcher’s father, Darren, went through the Man United academy and played over 300 matches for the club. He joined the club’s coaching staff in 2020, spending time as technical director before recently moving to the first-team coaching staff as part of the restructuring under Erik ten Hag.
Despite their father’s ties to Old Trafford, Jack and his twin brother Tyler were both on Manchester City’s roster until 2023. Man United spent around £1.25 million to sign the duo, both of whom play as midfielders.
Jack is a member of the England U17 team and was part of the U18 Man Utd squad last season, scoring his first goal against Leeds United, and also participated in the UEFA Youth League. Tyler, who also played in both competitions, chose to represent Scotland.
U21 coach Binnion spoke to the media before the match against Barnsley: “Alongside the U18 Youth Cup, the EFL Trophy is our biggest annual tournament. We feel we can learn the most about the players in that arena, and it’s unique matches, playing against older opponents, which brings a lot.”
His team is led by captain Toby Collyer, who made his first-team debut at the Community Shield, while striker Ethan Wheatley is another starting player with first-team experience. This victory helped Man United’s young players bounce back after a 2-4 defeat to Arsenal in their first match of the Premier League 2 season, and Jack has also sent a message to first-team coach Erik ten Hag.
