Burnleys Coyle can be perfect mentor to Fletcher as Premier League beckons
30 Jun 2009 - 01:58:19
Gordon Strachan wanted to sign Steven Fletcher in January as Celtic looked to fill their goalscoring gap.
Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce also weighed up a move for the striker when Roque Santa Cruz and Matt Derbyshire were sold to Manchester City and Olympiakos respectively.
Even Roberto Martinez, Wigan's new manager, made a late phone call yesterday in an 11th hour bid for the man who was handed an international debut on his 21st birthday last March by Scotland boss George Burley.
But those closest to Fletcher insist that, of all those potential mentors, Burnley boss Owen Coyle is best qualified to blood the Scotland striker in England's top flight next season.
Sure, the Turf Moor club might not last any longer than 12 months with the big boys - survival in itself would be an outstanding achievement for Coyle - but even one year in the English Premier League would be a vital learning curve for the latest graduate of the Hibs youth development production line.
With the player keen to move, new Hibs boss John Hughes didn't stand a chance of keeping Fletcher at Easter Road when he succeeded Mixu Paatelainen - and the sooner the transfer is concluded, the quicker he can look to strengthen his new team.
If there is an irony in Hughes and Coyle indulging in £3million transfer business yesterday, then it simply shows how far both men have come since they were charged with steering Falkirk to the First Division title as co-managers when Ian McCall left for Dundee United.
Striker Colin Nish will be sad to see his team-mate go but knows that Fletcher's departure is inevitable following two or three years of incessant speculation and interest.
'You began to expect the stories surrounding Steven as he is that good a player,' said Nish. 'I will be gutted to see him go but Burnley would be a great move for him.'
Nish, 28, played with Coyle between 1999 and 2001 when at Dunfermline and believes the former St Johnstone boss will be ideal inspiration for the man who scored Scotland's World Cup qualifying- tie winner against Iceland.
'I used to play with Owen at Dunfermline and he is a great guy,' added Nish.
'Burnley would be great for Fletch as it is a chance for him to play in the Premier League. Owen doesn't have too many strikers and Robbie Blake also tends to play wide. So, in my view, Steven would definitely play.'
Easter Road boss Hughes returned from holiday in the United States on Sunday to find the transfer activity surrounding Fletcher hotting up.
With Sunderland's Anthony Stokes already on his radar for a loan deal - following the pair's previous involvement at Falkirk - the indications are that Yogi won't be slow to recycle a fee should the Fletcher-to-Burnley deal be completed promptly.
Stokes, for instance, might command a six-figure loan fee to Sunderland and a wedge of the big wages he is currently receiving there for sitting on the sidelines.
'Owen called me while I was on holiday in America to give me the heads up that there was an interest in Fletcher,' said Hughes.
'He asked me about Fletch and I told him he can compete, he is good in the air, quick and, when he gets the ball on that left foot of his, he always hits the target.'
Coyle probably did not require the sales pitch, for he would not be doing his job properly if he was not aware of emerging talent.
Indeed, he took St Johnstone to a CIS Cup semi-final with Hibs in 2007 at Tynecastle, where Fletcher scored in a 3-1 win before going on to grab a double in the final against Kilmarnock.
Despite his move to England, Coyle has no fear whatsoever of displaying a Scottish bias in the transfer market.
He took Kevin McDonald from Dundee and once told Sportsmail he would happily have signed Barry Robson, Alan Gow and Derek Riordan.
And the job in hand at Turf Moor yesterday saw him complete a new
one-year deal for Scotland veteran Graham Alexander.
Captain Steven Caldwell, the brother of Celtic's Gary, is another mainstay of the newly-promoted side.
Coyle, declining to comment specifically on the Fletcher bid, said: 'We believe our young players can evolve and get better, allied to our older heads keeping them right. They have shown, as well, what they can do and how to perform.
'I am excited that the likes of Graham, Robbie, Steven and Wade Elliott now have the chance to pit their wits against some of the top players in world football.
'We have to be ready for the pace and power of the Premier League. That is why our pre-season preparation has to be right.'
Hughes, for his part, sounded resigned to losing Fletcher, despite having previously sounded optimistic noises about trying to persuade him to stay.
'I am a great admirer of Fletch and I would love to have the opportunity to work with him,' he said.
'I am a manager and a coach, and I'll work with the players at my disposal. But I also understand football is a business and Hibs run a very good business.'
For the club' s fans, losing another top player will be no less painful. But the reality is that there aren't too many SPL players outside the Old Firm who will command £3m fees.
And, after the Setanta TV crash, Petrie wasn't inclined to turn it down after rejecting Celtic's offer of £2m in an enduring game of transfer poker in January.
