For the vast majority of the Tartan Army, the inclusion of Tyler Fletcher in Scotland’s World Cup squad came like a bolt from the dark blue. But for those who have watched him closely, guiding him on his journey as he has worked relentlessly to make the grade at Manchester United, the opportunity is just reward for a young talent who may well be going places, but who has his head screwed firmly to his shoulders.
As Academy director overseeing United’s world-renowned talent production line, Stephen Torpey knows a player when he sees one. And in Fletcher, he immediately identified someone who had all the qualities, both in terms of talent and application, to one day make the grade in one of football’s toughest finishing schools.
As much as Torpey may have expected 19-year-old Fletcher’s progression to now be at the point of troubling the United first team, given the attributes and the attitude he possesses, to have an opportunity to play on the biggest stage in international football – something that even eluded his 80-cap father, Darren – has come sooner than even he would have predicted.
But he is sure of one thing – he is ready to seize that opportunity with both hands.
"I am extremely proud,” Torpey said.
“I've known Tyler and the family for many years now. To see the dedication that he puts in to wanting to be the very best he can be is a credit to him and the family.
“There's a link obviously with his dad and his brother [Jack] playing as well, but ultimately, he is his own man. He's done an amazing thing here in terms of being called up and seizing that moment. That's through a lot of hard work, dedication, and self-belief.
“For any young players that are in the academy system, it is not always plain sailing. It is not always perfect in terms of the way that they would progress through the journey of becoming a professional.
“Tyler has always stuck with that, whether it's been good performances, dips in form, uncertainty, or lack of confidence or belief. He's always shown that determination, and that's always been a real standout skill that he's got.
“We're really proud. He's got an amazing opportunity and a fantastic experience, so we couldn't be happier."
It would be understandable if the name on his back, of course, weighed heavily, given the achievements of his dad in a glittering career with United and in his long service to his country.
But the quiet influence of Darren is something that is invaluable to Fletcher, in Torpey’s view, who also believes he is more than capable of handling any expectations placed upon him by dint of what his old man achieved.
"He's got a first-hand mentor in terms of somebody who's been there, seen it, and done it,” he said.
“The family itself has handled this situation really well, as they always have done. They look at the boys as individuals; they look at Tyler for Tyler. It's important that he is his own person, which he's always shown whenever I've been in the company of the family.
“It's helpful for anybody who's got somebody experienced in the family or nearby that they can call upon to guide and give some mentorship. It's helpful, but also, they handle it really well as a family.
“They don't put any unnecessary expectation or stress on themselves. They just do what they do each day: focus, be humble, and be hardworking. The benefits are there for everyone to see.
"He's an intelligent footballer. He makes good decisions, he's tactically astute, and he can adapt. His techniques are very clean, and he can handle the ball really well. He has a good understanding of how to use the ball and impact games.
“He's a competitor; he'll happily put his body on the line and work for the team. That's all any of us can ask, that you go and put your body on the line for yourself, your teammates, and to represent you, your club, and your nation to the best of your ability. He'll give everything.
“He's a midfield player and he has midfield traits to help the team. That willingness to be a really strong teammate and work for each other is also a standout quality.
“In possession and out of possession, he's reliable. Even more so as a character and as a human being, he's a really sound person you can rely on and trust.
“That makes us really proud of him, and we're confident that he can go and show everything he's capable of."
One of the main points of conjecture around Fletcher’s late inclusion in the squad following the unfortunate injury to Billy Gilmour is around his lack of first team experience, having clocked up just 17 minutes in Michael Carrick’s team so far.
This has been placed in stark contrast to the 992 minutes Lennon Miller has managed for Udinese in Serie A this season, as well as the 76 appearances he made for Motherwell before earning that move, as some expressed surprise that Miller – who was on the squad standby list - had been overlooked as a result.
But for Torpey, there are different kinds of experience, and he believes that Fletcher’s grounding at one of the world’s biggest clubs and managing to hold his own training alongside some of the world’s best players, will stand him in good stead if he is called upon to play in North America.
“If you were to speak to him and think about how many tournaments he's played in, how many finals he's played in, how many semi-finals, and how many pressured situations that he's been through in his journey, that number is quite large,” he said.
“It feels like something that is unique. You might think of it as being the ultimate in terms of the pressure, but as a young person going through this system in the academy system here in England and succeeding at many levels, you get drip-fed some of these moments in their own way as you're young. It's all been in preparation for this moment.
“I would like to think that we've had a part to play in that calmness [he has] and supporting him to be ready for that moment. Of course, you have to have an element of luck in terms of your opportunities, but you've got to be ready when that comes.
“He certainly is ready; he has shown that this season whenever he's been asked to step up. That's over many years of work from some really good coaches and really good people around him that have helped him along the journey and prepared him for this moment.
“That's one thing to recognise. Also, training with Manchester United's first team every day for the last three to six months, the intensity of that training practice, you could argue is more intense than playing in any certain division week in, week out.
“He's playing up against the world's best footballers, the iconic players of this generation, and he's doing it every single day. Nobody's watching, so he's allowed to make his mistakes, but he also has moments where he really shines.
“It's not something to underestimate, being in the building at an amazing club like Manchester United with the talent that we have in the first team. That is a really big test for any young player.
“Tyler's done an awful lot this year. Stepping onto Old Trafford and making those minutes in the Premier League is different; that's another learning curve again. But let's not underestimate how difficult it is just to train and play with these players on a daily basis.
“That is like being in the boxing ring and you're sparring every day, but you're sparring against people that are the very best players. When your moment comes and that fight comes for Tyler, he can handle the pace, he can handle the situation, and he's ready.
“I can understand why that question would be asked, but there's a different angle to that when you look at his everyday training program and the intensity of that, creating that readiness, so when he does get his opportunity, he can perform."
The Scotland camp, and the established players in particular, are known to have been hugely impressed by Fletcher’s performances in training leading up to his debut against Curacao, and it is thought that played no small part in his eventual call-up to Steve Clarke’s 26-man squad.
Torpey believes that in turn will lead to those established players trusting Fletcher when it comes to the real thing on the pitch, something he seems to have earned from United’s star-studded squad too.
"I don't speak on behalf of the players obviously, but in terms of us as a football club, we're extremely happy,” he said.
“We see his progress improving every day. Some of that's gradual, but then you sometimes see some spikes of positivity and then it settles down again. It isn't linear development; we know that. You can pick up injuries and niggles and then it's how you react to that adversity.
“The biggest thing for any young player is to earn the respect of the senior players and the teammates in the first team. Once you've done that, they feel that confidence in you and they also have that belief in you. The decision-making when they have the ball or don't have the ball and the way they can communicate with that young teammate is different when they have that ultra respect for them.
“We talk about football excellence, performance excellence, and social excellence all the time here at Manchester United. That social excellence to fit in with the first team and to impress and be respectful is a really big skill, and Tyler has that.
“That's what has helped him in this moment; he can interact in that environment and he's comfortable, but also, he recognises he's not the finished article. He's got a lot to do and he works hard. He's earned that respect because of that.
“He's impressed with his footballing excellence. Physically, he's still growing and he's still got a lot to do, but his readiness is improving every day.
“No doubt if he gets his opportunity over in the US, he'll be ready again - with some nerves, but also with a belief and a confidence that he can go and perform under pressure on the biggest stage."
