Praise for maligned Sheffield Wednesday forward who has been a 'different player' in recent weeks

His loan switch from Watford came as he joined up with a former manager who he felt had brought out the best in him in a short time together. He spoke honestly on the need to reboot his career, of the possibility of laying roots at S6 after a frustrating handful of seasons that had seen him fall from big-money former Manchester United and England youngster to a player the Hornets frankly haven't had a place for since they signed him in 2021.

Fletcher comes across earnest and erudite. He's intelligent, he speaks well - Manchester United claimed him from a burgeoning education that saw him achieved 12 GCSEs at either A or B - and he knows where his career is at. The Star understands that he is a popular figure at Middlewood Road and that his teammates have huge respect for his efforts both in training and on matchdays.

It's no secret, perhaps, that that love hasn't quite extended to some sections of the terraces. His is an example of the old mantra that supporters will 'love a player as long as you can see he is working his socks off' being a load of old bobbins. He has his detractors and 24 appearances into his Owls career without a goal, it doesn't take too much squinting to see why. Throw in the notion of him being a 'buddy signing' of an unpopular former manager, that his early days saw him thrown into action ahead of fan favourite teammates and the explanation for any supporter ire mounts.

Others see what both Wednesday managers this season have seen. Albeit from the bench in the vast majority of cases, albeit in a squad not flush with an array of striker options for one reason or another, Fletcher has sat out of only six of the Owls' 30 matches this season across all competitions. He has played at least a half of their last three outings and has worked hard in his role; harrying defenders, holding things up, dropping into dangerous areas and offering a target late on in matches.

"Fletch is an example of someone who has trained very hard in the last months," Wednesday boss Danny Röhl said in conversation with The Star this week. "I think from my side he is a different player since I arrived and he understands more and more the sort of game I want to see. His strength is also to keep the ball and be the target player up front, sometimes he drops very well into the red zone and he did this at Southampton with some good movements.

"Now he starts to finish some actions. We need that bit of luck so he can score the first goal. It's important for a striker to do this, the belief and the confidence comes back and when you score once you can score twice as well. This is normal. His development is fantastic and his attitude on and off the pitch is fantastic as well."

A near ever-present in one way or another this season, what becomes of Fletcher remains to be seen. Wednesday are known to be on the hunt for reinforcements in the attacking areas and his status as a loan player throws up its own questions in an era where the phrase 'season-long' is so often a nonsense given the hidden clauses that are routinely buried within. A goal threat he has not proven to be - seemingly a non-negotiable hurdle in the mind of some supporters - but in a side that has needed his skillset he has worked hard to offer them.

"It's not easy sometimes for a loan player in his situation," Röhl continued. "I had conversations with him and he is now very clear and very focussed about the situation now here. He is doing well, he has trained well and he is ready. We will see what we do in the next weeks, but for me it is important I know the feeling from the players and he knows my feeling and what I am thinking about him. He is a good option for us in the moment.

"It's important. I think Bailey (Cadamarteri) improved a lot and had good development. But for a young player to immediately have a lot of pressure with everyone maybe expecting him to score all of the time, he has done well. But it is also important to have one or two strikers beside him to give him air to refresh his mind and go forward. This is how I like to improve my young players and it is good that I have an option like Fletch and the other strikers."