Steven Fletcher reveals that he nearly signed for Norwich City before Sheffield Wednesday star persuaded him to join the Owls

Sheffield Wednesday striker Steven Fletcher has revealed that he was on his way to sign for Norwich City when Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Barry Bannan convinced him to sign for the club.
Steven Fletcher and Barry Bannan.Steven Fletcher and Barry Bannan.
Steven Fletcher and Barry Bannan.

Fletcher joined Wednesday from Sunderland after a loan spell at Marseille in July 2016, and has scored 23 goals in 97 league appearances since.

But it could all have been very different for the Scottish striker, as he told Open Goal’s Si Ferry that he nearly joined the Canaries. 

Steven Fletcher and Barry Bannan.Steven Fletcher and Barry Bannan.
Steven Fletcher and Barry Bannan.
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Reflecting on his career, the Owls top scorer this season said: “It’s been brilliant. It was Baz that got me to sign.

“I was going to talk with Norwich, Alex Neil was the manager - he’s probably still unhappy with me I don’t know.

“But I was going down to sign for Norwich and my agent called me on the way down saying listen, Sheffield Wednesday are after you.

“I was looking at the sat-nav and there was still six hours to go because it’s a long way down from Glasgow.

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“I was half way thinking Sheffield is just there, so I text Barry and said ‘what’s Wednesday like?’ and he said ‘brilliant’. He said you need to come so I went in and signed for them that night.

“I rang Alex Neil and he just said ok, which is worse isn’t it. He was disappointed.”

Fletcher has been a vital source of goals for Wednesday since signing on a free transfer, as he netted 11 in the 2018/19 campaign.

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And the former Hibernian, Burnley and Wolves man’s performances earlier in the season were enough to earn him an international call-up for Scotland for their Nations League matches. 

The 32-year-old was not included in Alex McLeish’s most recent international squad as Scotland were humbled in a 3-0 defeat to Kazakhstan in their Euro 2020 qualifier, but Fletcher says he is optimistic of a return once a new manager is appointed.

“Obviously there were a few bad results just gone.

“It depends what manager comes in, when he speaks to me I’ll see if I’m in his plans. A new manager comes in and they always want to do something a bit differently so it just depends who takes it.

“I see Mourinho’s in for it so that would be alright!”

Scotland are yet to appoint a new manager after McLeish was sacked having overseen just 12 matches.