Scotland boss Gordon Strachan will place his faith in Darren Fletcher in Dortmund despite admitting the Manchester United man is not quite back to his best.
Strachan will hand the captain’s armband back to Fletcher in the absence of the injured Scott Brown when the Scots face Germany in their Euro 2016 Group D opener on Sunday night, satisfied that he will give his all even if the national coach feels he needs a bit more time to reach the standard he has set in the past.
Celtic midfielder Brown was Strachan’s skipper while Fletcher was out for a year battling a chronic stomach complaint.
Now that Brown himself has been sidelined until mid-October after tearing his hamstring, Fletcher is ready to step back into the leadership role and Strachan is delighted to give him the responsibility after watching his play for the Old Trafford side under new gaffer Louis Van Gaal.
Strachan said: “I think it’ll take Darren another couple of months to get right back to his best but what he’s doing just now is more than good enough for Van Gaal so I am happy with that as well.
“He is getting a game regularly for Man United. No matter if they are playing well or not, the coach is saying to him: ‘You’re playing.’
“Does he fit into my plans? Listen, he is a good player and I fit around them.
“He’s got so much experience, too, and everybody looks at him and says: ‘He’s played Champions League football all his life.’
“He is a great example on how to deal with people.
“He’s got that thing I’ve seen from people who have worked with Alex Ferguson. He’s respectful of people about him.
“He’s also got that thing that if you’re standing in the tunnel with him you’re thinking: ‘I’m glad I’m on your side’.”