Stoke City has officially unveiled veteran midfielder Darren Fletcher as their first signing of the summer, with the West Brom midfielder joining on a two-year-deal.
The 33-year-old former Manchester United star has been an ever-present for West Brom in their last two Premier League campaigns.
However, with his contract expiring, the Scottish international has decided to swap the Hawthorns for the bet365 Stadium.
#SCFC are delighted to announce the signing of Scotland international Darren Fletcher on a two-year deal #WelcomeDarren 🔴⚪️🏴 pic.twitter.com/A3QbIB2a9k
— Stoke City FC (@stokecity) June 1, 2017
Fletcher had apparently been offered a new contract by Tony Pulis, but the four-time Premier League champion has instead chosen to join up with Man Utd legend Mark Hughes at Stoke.
On signing on the dotted line at the bet365 Stadium, Fletcher said:
It’s all happened incredibly quickly, but I am delighted to be here.
This is a fantastic Club with a top manager and a great group of players and I am really looking forward to this opportunity.
I loved every moment of my time at West Bromwich Albion and I loved every moment of my time with Manchester United, but this is a new challenge for me now, and I like to think I respond well to new challenges.
Despite his advancing years, Fletcher’s consistency and lack of injuries are rather impressive, while his experience will surely be a boost to Stoke both on and off the pitch.
🗣️ Mark Hughes has spoken of his delight after making Darren Fletcher his first signing of the summer #SCFC pic.twitter.com/RgI4NpNqYv
— Stoke City FC (@stokecity) June 1, 2017
Stoke themselves have rather stalled in recent seasons, despite the influx of a lot of gifted players, with a 13th place finish in 2016/17 a significant underachievement.
However, the likely signing of Fletcher seems like a very shrewd move for the Potters.