Earlier this week Premier League new boys Burnley broke their transfer record with the £3 million capture of striker Steven Fletcher from Hibernian, and the 22-year-old is relishing the prospect of rubbing shoulders with some of the best players in world next season.
Fletcher still had four years remaining on his contract at Easter Road, but once a fee had been agreed with the
Clarets his mind was made up.
He scored 52 goals in 190 appearances for Hibs and also netted Scotland’s winning goal in April’s World Cup qualifier against Iceland at Hampden Park.
Givemefootball’s Mark Shail logged the thoughts of Fletcher, who was also named the Scottish Writers’ Young Player of the year last term.
Q: You must be delighted the transfer went through smoothly?
A: As soon as I knew Burnley were after me and, knowing Owen Coyle as I do, I thought this was the right place to develop my career.
The opportunity came for me to join Celtic in January but Hibs didn’t think it was the right time for me to move on. When the chance arrived for me to play in the Premier League for a club like Burnley I was glad they accepted that and let me come down.
Q: How do you feel about becoming the club's most expensive player?
A: I thought I’m down here now, no pressure. But I’m looking forward to it. I just want to get started and start scoring goals.
There is pressure with being a record striker but I’ll just keep my head down, work hard and hopefully there won’t be any pressure if I’m scoring. If I work hard hopefully that will pay off in games.
Q: It was widely thought you would follow your former Hibs teammates Scott Brown and Kevin Thompson to Celtic?
A: It went quiet (with Celtic) while I was on holiday, so I wasn’t really thinking about that. Then, when I got the opportunity to come here, I came and spoke to the gaffer and knew it was the right place.
I think I would have signed here anyway because of the gaffer’s enthusiasm for football and the way he wants the team to play is great.
As soon as I came down here he came and met me at the car, shook my hand and took me into the office.
Q: What impresses you the most about Owen Coyle?
A: It’s just the way he talks to you, and the coach Sandy Stewart as well - I know him from back up in Scotland. The manager wants to play football and that’s what strikers want to do. They don’t want to be chasing balls. Everything just felt right.
Q: Is it true that you were being linked with Real Madrid last season?
A: I got slated for that every day in training, so I couldn’t take it seriously – I just laughed it off. I never heard anything, I just read about it in the papers.
I saw one paper with me in a Real Madrid strip so I kept that. Speculation about my future has been going on since I was 17 and it’s taken me until the age of 22 to move.
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