The Best Young Scottish Striker?

Steven Fletcher is still only 20 years old but seems to have been kicking around the Hibs first team for years.

Indeed you may say he has. The striker made his first team debut as a mere 17 year old on 10th April 2004 in a 3-0 Hibs win over Kilmarnock.

The youngster has been tipped for the top by many better qualified than your average layman and current boss John Collins is a huge fan.

Earlier this season Collins said “Steven Fletcher for me is the main man in the current Scotland Under-21 side, and a player I expect to be knocking on the door for a full international cap by the end of the season.”

Fletcher has been very impressive this season so far.

He has already netted six SPL goals but it’s his all round game which seems to be flourishing under the current management team.

Everyone knew he could certainly finish but he seems hungrier, stronger and more adept at holding play up this season.

Add this to his little flicks and turns and the praise given by his elders seems justified.

Although he plays for Scotland Fletcher was actually born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

His Dad was was a soldier and the young Fletch spent his early days moving around military bases throughout Europe.

Liverpudlian Fletcher snr was a confirmed Liverpool fan and Steven followed in his father’s footsteps and names Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen as his boyhood idols.

Sadly for ten year old Fletcher his Dad died from cancer, forcing his Mother to move back to her native Hamilton in Scotland.

However she failed to settle back home and returned South leaving Steven to be brought up by his Uncle.

He signed for Hibs as a 13 year old and progressed sufficiently to be handed a 5 year deal as a 16 year old.

Fletcher has an impressive scoring record scoring on average 1 in every 4 League matches whilst he’ll always be revered by the Hibs support for his double in the CIS Cup triumph last March.

On the International stage he hasn’t fared too badly either.

He was part of the Scotland Under 19 Squad which reached the European Championship Final at the end of the 2005/06 season but unfortunately had to sit out the final through suspension where they were defeated by Spain.

Being runners up qualified Scotland for the Under 20 World Cup in the summer and Fletcher part of the squad which largely disappointed in Canada and failed to qualify for the latter stages.

In an interview with 4-4-2 magazine last season Fletcher described Derek Riordan and Garry O’Connor as the best players he’s played with.

The likes of Damon Gray and Ross Campbell may very well be paying a similar compliment to him in future years.


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