“A big thing…” – Toby Collyer reveals incredible influence from Manchester United icon, he’s helped him a lot

Toby Collyer has emerged into the Manchester United first-team this season after joining the club’s Academy in 2022.

Manchester United signed highly-rated teenager Toby Collyer from Brighton three years ago. The young midfielder had already captained England at youth level.

Collyer’s development was going under the radar, mostly because he played with the Under-21s, who are not available to watch on MUTV as regularly as the Under-18s.

But the young star was making positive moves in the Academy and trained regularly with Erik ten Hag’s first-team squad last term before emerging in the squad on a more regular basis this season.

Collyer made his debut in the Community Shield at the beginning of the season against Manchester City and has since made eight more appearances for the first-team.

Rúben Amorim immediately took a liking to the 21-year-old, who has given him six of his nine senior appearances so far.

Unfortunately for the midfielder, he recently suffered an injury but will undoubtably continue to play when he returns to action after impressing fans with his performance levels.

Collyer reveals Fletcher’s incredible influence at United

Collyer has been speaking to United’s club media this week and detailed the important role Darren Fletcher has played in his development.

Fletcher came through the Academy himself at Old Trafford and became a first-team regular under Sir Alex Ferguson. The Scottish midfielder spent 20 years at the club in total as a player and departed in 2015 for West Brom.

The ex-player rejoined the club in 2020 as a youth coach and then became part of Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s coaching staff in the first-team. He then became the club’s first technical director.

That role is now occupied by Jason Wilcox while Fletcher’s new job role is not public knowledge, although his major importance comes in linking the Academy to the first-team, which is something he clearly did with Collyer.

“I signed and I remember I saw Darren Fletcher,” Collyer said. “He came and spoke to me, which was obviously a big thing, because he’s a player who I’d say I play like.

“So to see him come and speak to me gave me great confidence and the belief that I could achieve things at this club.”

“With Fletch, I think, with my game, it’s quite similar to his and I think that’s why it’s great for him to be around, from my perspective. I can learn from him, always speak to him and get his opinion on things.”

Fletcher’s role at United proving important now

Some United fans have previously mocked Fletcher for his unknown role at Old Trafford but it does seem important to ensure the links between the youth teams and the senior side stay strong.

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We are currently seeing how important that is due to the injury problems in Ruben Amorim’s squad, with several young talents being needed to help in the first-team.

Chido Obi got his debut last month and it is expected that more young talent are involved before the end of the season.

Fletcher himself will likely be hoping to see one of his sons, Jack or Tyler, be gifted an opportunity to make their debut. Jack, goalscorer in the FA Youth Cup quarter-final against Arsenal this week, appeared on the bench against Spurs in mid-February.

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