JACK AND Tyler Fletcher often used to sit in the Old Trafford directors’ box even when they were in the Manchester City academy.
They were in attendance with their mother for the January 2023 derby when United recovered from 1-0 down to triumph 2-1.
That barely concealed their true loyalty and later that summer the twins switched from City to United in a combined £1.5million move.
It was stressed at the time United would not have bought the pair if they did not regard them as first-team potential. City were accused of a “revenge move” by luring Harrison Parker from United.
Darren was still in the United first team squad when his sons joined the City academy at the age of seven in 2014.
With their father no longer on the United first-team coaching staff, Jack and Tyler were included in the matchday squad for the first time against Newcastle on Boxing Day.
“You can see straight away the two of them have got real good long-term potential, exciting players as well,” former United Under 18 coach Adam Lawrence said during their first season.
“But what we’ve been most impressed with is how they’ve conducted themselves off the pitch.
“Obviously with their father being Darren, the way Darren conducts himself around the building, how supportive he is of the academy, the way he talks about younger players and his journey etc.
“He’s obviously been a massive source of support as well.”
Ticket + hotel room for Man Utd games from £155
GET tickets to see Man Utd at Old Trafford with our hand-picked deals.
The packages, offered by Sports Breaks, include an official match ticket and an overnight stay in a hand-picked hotel.
*If you click on a link in this article, we will earn affiliate revenue.
Man United Home Games
Twenty-two years, nine months and 14 days after Darren’s bow as a 19-year-old against Basel in the Champions League in March 2003, son Jack crossed the white line at Old Trafford against Newcastle last week, with Tyler an unused substitute.
During their youth-team days, United wanted to keep the Fletchers’ development “as low key as possible”.
Jack, who debuted against Aston Villa earlier this month before replacing Mason Mount at half-time in the Newcastle win, represents England whereas Tyler opted for his father’s homeland of Scotland.
Tyler made his international debut for Scotland in September 2022, then played for England two months later, defected back to Scotland in February 2023 before playing with Jack for England in their triumphant Montaigu Tournament two months later.
Tyler played in an Under-17 European Championship qualifier for Scotland against Belarus in October 2023 and the next month Jack was in the England line-up for their qualifying win against Croatia.
Sources close to the family say the twins’ preference for rival nations simply came down to the boys enjoying their chosen set-up the most.
The identical twins do not play in identical positions. Jack is an attacking midfielder and Tyler is more of a defensive midfielder.
Tyler’s sudden prominence is a personal success story after a trying first season with United that was beset by injuries. He only managed five appearances.
Jack has already got a large amount of experience under his belt. He travelled on the 2024 and 2025 pre-season tours of the United States.
Like his father, he graced the Old Trafford turf in the FA Youth Cup two seasons ago against Derby County. Ten months later, Jack was on the first-team bench for the first time.
His father helped oversee the warm-up that day but Darren is now the United Under 18s coach after four-and-a-half years working under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick, Erik ten Hag, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ruben Amorim.
Fletcher partly accepted the role as he would not have to manage his sons, now beyond that age group.
Darren’s role offered Jack the occasional leg-up. During Ten Hag’s reign, his assistant Mitchell van der Gaag would consult Fletcher on which academy players could be drafted into training on a recovery day or if the first team were short of numbers.
Jack first got the call in November 2023.
Darren had Tyler with him for another lad-and-dad tour on the post-season jaunt to Malaysia and Hong Kong. Tyler cameoed in the 1-0 defeat to ASEAN All Stars and the 3-1 win against a Hong Kong XI.
Fletcher and wife Hayley may have another set of sporting twins on their hands. Their daughters, who arrived 16 years after Jack and Tyler, have taken to garden kick-abouts like naturals.
Before their recent first-team promotions, Jack and Tyler helped their mother out with childcare while Darren was on the road with United, who played 60 games last season.
When Darren played for West Brom, United won 2-0 at the Hawthorns shortly before Christmas in 2016.
Long after supporters had vacated their seats and with the stadium still illuminated by the floodlights, the Fletcher twins – clad in United kits – had a kick-about with Wayne Rooney’s son, Kai.
Kai has also occasionally accompanied his mother in the Old Trafford directors’ box, doubtless intent on emulating his father by debuting for United.
