“This guy must have the best agent in football”. “Poor poor Blackpool”. “If he has a shot on target all season it’s a good season for him”.
When Blackpool announced the signing of free agent Ashley Fletcher in September 2024, it was fair to say fans of his former club, Sheffield Wednesday, didn’t have many positive things to say about the striker. And why would they? The former England under-20 international had endured a dire spell at Hillsborough the season prior, managing just one assist in 28 games for the Owls. In fact, before signing on the dotted line for Blackpool, Fletcher had only found the back of the net twice in the league since his arrival at previous club Watford, both goals coming whilst on loan at Wigan Athletic. So where did it all go wrong for a player who once turned down a two-year deal from Manchester United, and can the Fylde Coast be the place he finally kicks his career on?
BRIGHT START
Fletcher began his career in the youth set up at Bolton Wanderers, before making the short move over to Old Trafford, flourishing in an academy where he counted current international stars such as Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay as teammates. He signed professional terms for United in May 2014, although he would have to wait nearly two years for his professional debut, which would come whilst on loan at Barnsley in January 2016.
His first turnout for the Tykes seemed to be a sign of the promise Fletcher possessed; he bagged the equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Fleetwood Town, having come on just five minutes beforehand. This goal would prove important, as another 1-1 draw at Highbury ensured Barnsley reached the Football League Trophy final, in which Fletcher would play a decisive role. In front of nearly 60,000 fans at Wembley, he scored the second goal in a 3-2 Barnsley win, helping Paul Heckingbottom’s side lift the trophy for the first time in their history, as well as giving the club their first ever Wembley win. The trophy would also be the first of Fletcher’s professional career.
That goal, which Fletcher would describe as a dream in a BBC Interview, would not be the only one the Keighley born forward would notch at Wembley that season. His five league goals helped Barnsley to a 6th placed finish, sneaking into the Play-offs on the final day. After registering a goal and two assists in the semi-finals against Walsall, Fletcher once again found himself on the scoresheet at the home of English football, giving Barnsley a lead after just two minutes in the final against Millwall. Barnsley would comfortably win the match, securing promotion to the Championship and ensuring Ashley Fletcher’s name would be forever in their history books due to his crucial goals in vital games.
An impressive loan spell saw interest grow in the forward, and with his contract running out decisions were to be made. Bravely, United’s offer of a two-year extension was rejected by Fletcher, who told Sky Sports that it was time to go make a career for himself. Having not made a professional appearance for United, he signed for West Ham in July 2016, penning a four-year deal at the London Stadium.
FLASHES OF ABILITY
Fletcher would make his Irons debut in Europe, coming off the bench against Slovenian side NK Domžale. His Premier League debut would come a few days later, once again from the subs bench, in a win over Bournemouth. However, game time would be limited for Fletcher in London, turning out only 20 times for West Ham. A solitary goal against former employers Manchester United in the EFL Cup would prove to be the 22-year old’s first and final for the club as he departed for Middlesbrough in 2017, just a year after signing for the Hammers.
The expectation on Teesside was that Fletcher would be the man to fire them back to the Premier League and the £6.5 million price tag reflected that. After all, Boro had just been relegated, with their total of 27 goals the lowest in the league. Despite early signs of promise, Fletcher found goals hard to come by and eventually slipped down the high-profile pecking order that included future Barcelona strike Martin Braithwaite and club record signing Britt Assombalonga. Having completed just one full 90 minutes for the club and unfancied by new manager Tony Pulis, Fletcher found himself on the move once again, this time up to Boro’s northeast neighbours Sunderland.
LACKLUSTRE LOANS
Fletcher’s time on Wearside was the first case of a series of disappointing loan spells that would come to dominate the striker’s more recent career. In a torrid spell, Fletcher managed just two goals as Sunderland suffered a second consecutive relegation. His time at the Stadium of Light was made all the more difficult by the turmoil the Black cats found themselves in, which would later be amplified by the release of the Netflix documentary Sunderland ‘Til I Die, in which Fletcher’s struggle for form was a key topic. This pressure took a toll on Fletcher, resulting in him turning to a psychologist for help, something he admitted recently in an interview with the Blackpool Gazette.
His return to Middlesbrough for the 2018/19 season offered a fresh start under Pulis, which the forward took with open arms. Fletcher was able to break into the team at the back end of the season, scoring 5 league goals as Boro missed out on the playoffs by a point.
The following season would prove to be the most fruitful of his career, pushing Assombalonga out of the team whilst netting 11 goals, including a stunning 30-yard volley against West Bromwich Albion that would claim the Championship Goal of the Month Award for December 2019. Unfortunately, Middlesbrough would not be able to mirror Fletcher’s success and although he finished the season as the club’s top scorer, these finishes helped the club avoid relegation rather than fight for the play-offs, as the club recorded their worst finish since the 1980s.
The following season, with his contract up, Fletcher would depart Teesside after a spell marked by struggle and false dawns, never having achieved the expectations set upon him by such a hefty price tag.
Watford would be next to swoop in for Fletcher’s services, but the downward trajectory of the striker’s career was fated to continue. Despite this move signalling a return to the Premier League for Fletcher, he would only make three appearances in the league for the Hornets, all three coming off the bench.
This would signal the beginning of the markedly worst period of Fletcher’s career. Three loan spells, during which Fletcher was able to experience the bright lights of New York, Wigan and Sheffield, returned just two league goals. A barren spell at Barnsley’s South Yorkshire rivals signalled the final nail in the coffin for Fletcher’s Vicarage Road career. For a striker who had cost £6 million as a 21-year-old, it seemed as if time was running out to realise that potential.
LEAGUE ONE REDEMPTION
Currently, Fletcher finds himself back in League One with Blackpool, to date the only league he has won promotion from. Considering the promise he possessed last time he was in this league, it would be fair to say Fletcher’s career has never reached the heights expected ten years ago.
Arriving at Bloomfield Road, Fletcher’s confidence was shot. Despite a goal on his debut, courtesy of an error from Crawley Town goalkeeper Jojo Wallacott, it seemed as if his time at the seaside was doomed to follow a similar direction. Having not scored since the opening day, the striker was even dropped from the matchday squad by manager Steve Bruce for a couple of matches in November. Average performances, combined with a perceived lack of effort, made it rather easy for the forward to become the focus of some fans ire.
However, an honest conversation with Bruce seems to have corrected the forward’s path, with the 29-year-old enjoying his longest run in a team since his Boro times. It has proved a fruitful spell too, with Fletcher having found the net five times in his last ten games, setting him on course for his best season since 2019/20. Most importantly, Fletcher admitted to the local paper that he’s once again enjoying football. Some deft finishes, including chips against Lincoln City and Stockport County, show the undeniable ability Fletcher possesses.
Blackpool find themselves midtable in League One, at the time of writing 12 points away from their goal of the Play-Offs. However, a full pre-season under experienced boss Steve Bruce could prove invaluable to their promotion hopes, as could Fletcher, who penned a two-year deal in tangerine. The Fylde Coast presents what could be a last chance for a striker in his prime to finally live up to the talent that was touted as a teenager.
Whilst Fletcher’s story to date has been one of many false dawns, he’ll hope that his recent vein of rich form is no fluke and that he can help fire Blackpool back to the Championship.
