Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher has taken an extended break from football following a bowel disorder, The Daily Mail reports.
At 27, Fletcher has had to take a break from the game following the announcement that he has a debiliating bowel condition. The Scotland captain missed a large chunk of last season with a so-called ‘virus’ and faced the same problems in pre-season.
The Premier League champions confirmed that Fletcher has been suffering from a problem known as ‘ulcerative colitis’, which is a chronic inflammatory bowel disorder. It is unknown whether the United midfielder will be back for next season and the club have wished him well in his recovery. Fletcher has accepted the medical advice given to him in order to enhance his chances of achieving full remission.
United teammates Rio Ferdinand and Michael Owen, as well as former Old Trafford goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, expressed their support on the social networking site Twitter. Fletcher has a four year deal that takes him to the summer of 2015 with the club and has the reassurance that when he is fit, United will be there.
Other sportsmen to have recovered from the disorder include England rugby union star Lewis Moody and five times Olympic gold medalist Sir Steve Redgrave. Fletcher is considered one of the club’s most popular players and support has poured in from United fans as well as people who have met him in the media and other footballers.
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