GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Scotland has selected teenager Tyler Fletcher to play for their national team. world cup The midfielder came on as a sudden injury substitute on Sunday despite having played less than 20 minutes for Manchester United this season.
Fletcher, 19, was asked by Scotland coach Steve Clarke last week to train and gain experience. senior troopsNapoli midfielder Billy Gilmour was then given a shock call-up after sustaining a knee injury in Saturday’s 4-1 warm-up win against Curaçao.
Fletcher made his international debut as a half-time substitute on Saturday and earned a World Cup call-up ahead of players such as 19-year-old Lennon Miller, who spent a full season in Serie A with Udinese.
“I thought so because Tyler came on the team this week and performed really well and did well in the game,” Clark said Sunday.
Fletcher made just two appearances off the bench in the Premier League for United. His father, Darren, is a veteran of 13 seasons with Scotland, but never played in a World Cup.
Clarke had kept midfielders Miller, Conor Barron and Andy Irving on standby when naming his 26-man squad two weeks ago, but still chose to promote Fletcher.
“It was a really tough night for me. I didn’t get much sleep,” Clark said. “Once again this morning we had to let the other three players down and tell them they missed their chance.”
Fletcher will be joined by 19-year-old Findlay Curtis, as well as 20-year-old Ben Gannon-Doak. They weren’t even born yet in 2004, when teammate Craig Gordon, 43, first played for Scotland.
When Gordon made his debut as Scotland goalkeeper 22 years ago, Darren Fletcher was included in the starting line-up and scored in the 4-1 win over Trinidad and Tobago.
Scotland return to the World Cup After waiting 28 years in a group with Brazil, Morocco and Haiti. Scotland will play Haiti on June 13th at New England Patriots Stadium in Foxborough.
___ AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
