I played alongside a Man Utd legend as a youth star… now I’m playing alongside his two SONS in the Under-21s aged 38
TOM HEATON played with the SON of one of his former Manchester United team-mates on Tuesday night.
The 38-year-old goalkeeper started for the club’s under-21 side against Barnsley in the EFL Trophy at Oakwell.
Jack Fletcher, the son of United legend Darren, also starred for the Red Devils.
The teenager came off the bench to score twice, including a stunning volley, in a 3-2 victory.
Heaton played the full 90 minutes as an overage player having signed a new deal through to next summer back in July.
It comes after he was part of a United squad featuring Darren Fletcher during the early years of his career.
However, the pair never played together in a competitive match, with Heaton leaving in 2010 without a first-team appearance to his name.
On playing alongside the 17-year-old, though, he told the BBC: “I played with Fletch for a long time.
“I started with Fletch from sort of 14, 15, so I had a long relationship with him, long time playing with him.
“So, to play with his lad Jack tonight – both of his lads (Jack and Tyler), actually, at certain points – is a bit surreal. But I think he’s got fantastic potential, a fantastic attitude. The two of them are real good lads.”
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Jack’s twin brother Tyler is also on United’s books after the pair joined the academy from rivals Manchester City last summer.
Heaton was full of praise for Fletcher, adding: “It is a big night for him. To come on and deliver that, what he did, made a big impact on the game.
“He’s certainly the stand-out performer from tonight, and hopefully that will give him a real good foundation to kick on from. But there’s some real good performances in there beyond that as well.
“I think everything’s looking rosy through the club at the minute.”
The former England international returned to Old Trafford for a second spell in 2021.
He has since gone on to make his first-team debut and has three senior appearances to his name.
As for Fletcher Sr, the 40-year-old has been back at United since retiring in 2020.
The Scot has held several roles but is currently serving as a technical coach with the first-team.
During his playing career, he scored 24 times in 342 United appearances and won 15 major trophies including five league titles and the Champions League.