Steven Fletcher reveals advice to Dundee United teammates after relegation heartbreak

Dundee United veteran Steven Fletcher has urged his younger teammates to use relegation heartbreak to fuel the rest of their careers.

The Tangerines crashed into the Championship following last weekend’s 3-2 defeat at Motherwell.

While United have a core of experienced campaigners — many of whom underperformed over the course of the campaign — plenty of the squad have never been in this position before.

The likes of Jack Newman, Ross Graham, Kai Fotheringham, Rory MacLeod, Kieran Freeman, Dylan Levitt and Glenn Middleton are all aged 23 or younger and have featured during the run-in.

And Fletcher — acutely aware of a level of direct criticism that did not exist when he was emerging — is hopeful they respond in the right manner and bounce back.

“We spoke to the younger boys about it (relegation) and gave them some advice how to handle it,” said the former Hibernian and Scotland striker.

“It’s easy for us to say “stay off social media” but it’s part of their lives, they have grown up with it. We didn’t have that when we were younger so it wasn’t as bad back then. Now it’s easy for people to give their opinions across to you.

“For a young player, it’s especially difficult. All they can do is get their head down and work as hard as they can. They have to react the right way. It is an experience you have to use it.

“The way they’re feeling right now? You don’t want that again in your career.

“Hopefully, a lot of them will have a good, long career ahead of them and they can use what’s happened as motivation..”

Steven Fletcher says Dundee United must take relegation ‘on the chin’

However, Fletcher has no qualms about the scrutiny being endured by the United squad.

The Tangerines succumbed to a series of meek capitulations over the course of the campaign — conceding 70 Premiership goals — and were not clinical enough in the final third.

“When you come into football, especially when you’re doing well, you love all the praise and everything that comes with it,” said Fletcher candidly.

“So when you’re in the position we are, you have to take the criticism.

“That’s part and parcel of it. You take it on the chin and look forward. Everyone is disappointed but we know it has been down to us. We are the ones who have had to go out there and play, so you have to take the flak.

“I have been relegated before and it’s hard to take. You want your career to be positive and happy, not feeling the way we are right now.”