Why Man Utd twins Jack and Tyler Fletcher play for different national teams amid Ruben Amorim call

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Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim named not one but two Fletcher brothers on his bench for the Premier League clash with Newcastle United on Boxing Day . Jack made his Premier League debut less than a week earlier, coming on as United lost to Aston Villa .

Amorim is short on numbers, with Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo both injured. He expects Mainoo to be back sooner than captain Fernandes, and will have been grateful to be able to welcome back Casemiro after a one-game ban.

The Fletcher twins, sons of former United midfielder Darren, joined the Red Devils from Manchester City's academy in 2023. A reported fee of £1.25million was enough to bring the pair to Old Trafford, where they have been playing at age group level.

Darren was a Scotland international during his playing career, winning 81 senior international caps. Tyler is also in the Scotland youth set-up, but Jack has instead opted for England.

"I think Jack Fletcher did a very good job and that's why when we have this opportunity, we need to give space to guys like Jack and the other ones. So, we'll find solutions to play,” Amorim told reporters on Wednesday.

The brothers were born in England while their dad was part of United's first team under Sir Alex Ferguson , meaning they could choose to represent either England or Scotland. Ferguson's team actually had a game on the day of their birth, but Darren wasn't involved as he'd been sidelined with an ankle ligament injury at the time.

Jack has opted to represent the country of his birth at international level, though he also played for Scotland's Under-16s when he was younger. He played twice for Will Antwi's England Under-19 side during the November international break, scoring in a 4-0 victory over Scotland.

Tyler was on the opposite team that day, captaining the Scottish selection. He also scored his first goal at Under-19 international level in a 2-2 draw away to Latvia earlier that month.

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United fans were excited to see both brothers on Amorim's bench for the Newcastle game. "So happy to see the Fletcher twins on the bench together. What a moment for them and their family," one wrote.

"It must be a proud moment for the Fletcher family," a second said. Others, meanwhile, made it clear they would have liked to see Jack Fletcher start the game ahead of Manuel Ugarte, who struggled against Villa on Sunday.

Another became painfully aware of the passage of time when looking at the teamsheet. "From watching Darren Fletcher during his prime back in college to this, football ageing just felt real again," they said.

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