I denne kåringen er det spillerne i Premier League som har avgitt sine stemmer, noe som gjør denne prisen ekstra ettertraktet blant spillerne. Onde tunger skal ha det til at det er et mysterium at Scholes ikke fikk denne prisen, etter at Giggs fikk den i fjor.

Festlig er det også at citys utlånte Joe Hart er årets keeper, mens Richard Dunne som ble kastet ut fra city of Manchester Stadium til fordel for Toure også har kapret en plass.

Fletcher har også danket ut spillere som Lampard og Gerrard på den sentrale midtbanen.

Denne sesongen er det fjerde året på rad en United-spiller har blitt kåret til årets spiller. I fjor stakk Ryan Giggs av med prisen, mens de to foregående sesongene var det Ronaldo som ble kåret til årets spiller av sine kollegaer.

PFA Premier League Team Of The Year
GK: Joe Hart (Birmingham)
DR: Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea)
DC: Richard Dunne (Aston Villa)
DC: Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal)
DL: Patrice Evra (Manchester United)
MR: Antonio Valencia (Manchester United)
MC: Darren Fletcher (Manchester United)
MC: Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)
ML: James Milner (Aston Villa)
SC: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
SC: Didier Drogba (Chelsea)

«It would be very dangerous to think this is a poor Liverpool side coming to Old Trafford because they will be anything but. It would be a huge mistake to think that Liverpool aren’t a threat. They maybe haven’t had the season we expected after the one they had last year but they are still a dangerous side.»

«They are still the same team they were last year in the main. We know what they are capable of because they pushed us all the way and dished out that defeat here and the one at Anfield this season. They are still fresh in our memories. They still have a lot to play for because they are battling for fourth spot. On their day they are capable of beating anyone.»

«We have to learn the lessons from last year’s game. The warnings are there. If you are not 100 per cent focused and you make mistakes then Liverpool will punish you.»

«After last season everyone thought they would kick-on this year and would be right up there again. A lot of people tipped them to win the league. It hasn’t turned out that way for whatever reason. It is a real surprise to me they haven’t been up with us. But they’ll still be fired up to win at Old Trafford again.»

«Last March’s defeat was difficult to swallow at the time. We were in the middle of the run-in and to lose against Liverpool, who were challenging us and especially at home, was tough.

«It is not about revenge. It is simply about the match and the title run-in.»

«Darren is one of the best midfielders around at the moment,» 

«His performances are at the highest level and it is great to play alongside him. He really is on top of his game.»

Fletcher slet lenge med å etablere seg på førstelaget, han var også en av spillerne som fikk gjennomgå av Roy Keane i det famøse intervjuet med MUTV. Så ble han omtalt som en spiller for storkampene og i Roma hevder mange at det var fraværet av den skotske landslagskapteinen som tapte kampen for oss.

Men nå er han i ferd med å utvikle seg til en komplett midtbanespiller, det nærmeste en «box-to-box»-spiller vi har sentralt på midtbanen. Løpskapasitet og taklingsstyrke har lenge vært kvalitetene man har verdsatt hos Fletcher, nå ser vi stadig oftere den offensive delen av spillet hans også.

“The only thing people have said to me this summer is that United missed me in Rome,” sa Fletcher. “It is nice to hear and I did feel I made a big step forward last season.»

“But sometimes you become a better player by not playing. People notice you because you are not there. It is easy to sit in the stand. I was desperate to be out there.”

Nå er det VM-kvallik for Fletcher, hvor Norge står på motsatt banehalvdel, og han spilte Community Shield til tross for at landslagssamlingen var startet.

“I was always going to play for Scotland this week but I did not want to miss a Manchester United game either. There is competition for places at this club. If you take your face out of things it gives someone else a chance to perform, so I wanted to be fighting for my place.»

“I want to play for Manchester United as much as I do for Scotland.”

«There is still lots that I want to achieve at Manchester United.  I’ve not done too bad but what is in the past is in the past, I look to the future.»

«I would love to represent my country at a major finals, I think every player would. The World Cup is a pinnacle of any player’s career and most of our squad haven’t experienced that and the country hasn’t achieved that for a long time.»

«So we are desperate to do it. We hope we can finish second and get in the play-offs and if we did then we would fancy our chances against most teams.»

UnitedNorge ønsker Darren Fletcher lykke til, og håper vi får se ham i VM!

«People thought he had gone mad that day but he knew what he was doing. I’ve played against Ryan in training and his skill as a central midfielder is that he turns the opposing central midfield player into a right back. Nobody in that position runs at you. A central midfielder gets the ball and looks to play it wide, or beyond to the striker. Ryan gets it and dribbles and that makes you uncomfortable, thinking: this isn’t what I’m supposed to do, this is not how I defend.»

I samme intervju røper Fletcher at Fergusons skotske patriotisme står sterkt – noe som ikke alltid er like positivt for vår skotske midtbaneterrier.

«He is just one of those guys who is very patriotic about Scotland. Any Scottish team, any Scottish sportsman. It puts a lot of pressure on me, actually, all these little side bets he puts on during international week. Nothing like going off to play France, with the manager shouting ‘if you lose, don’t come back’ after you.»

Les hele intervjuet på dailymail.co.uk.