Record price tag won't worry Burnley new boy Fletcher (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Record price tag won't worry Burnley new boy Fletcher

8:53am Friday 3rd July 2009 in

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THREE million pound man Steven Fletcher had no qualms about his pricetag ... until a Lancashire Telegraph billboard grabbed his attention.

‘Clarets smash transfer record’ screamed out to him in big, bold capital letters as he drove past a shop on the way to Turf Moor.

“I thought, ‘I’m down here now. No pressure!’,” laughed the new Burnley striker. “But I’m looking forward to it.

“I just want to get started and hopefully start scoring goals.

“There is pressure with being a record striker but I’ll just keep my head down, work hard and hopefully there won’t be any pressure if I’m scoring.

“If I work hard hopefully that will pay off in games.”

Despite intense speculation linking Fletcher to a host of big clubs, namely Celtic and Real Madrid, the 22–year–old was beginning to think his big move from Hibernian was never going to happen.

Celtic had a £2.5million–plus player offer blocked by Hibs chairman Rod Petrie in January, a year after it was reported Real Madrid were watching the Scotland international’s progress with a view to tabling a £4million bid at the end of last season.

The Spanish club’s interest was never followed up with anything concrete, but Fletcher insists he never let the attention go to his head.

“I got slated for it – every day in training – so I couldn’t take it seriously. I just laughed it off,” he said.

“I never heard anything, I just read about it in papers.

"I saw one paper with me in a Real Madrid strip, so I kept that!

“Speculation about my career has gone on for a few years.

"Since I was 17 or something they’ve been telling me I was going to move and it’s taken me until I’m 22.”

In the meantime, former team–mates Scott Brown and Kevin Thompson joined Celtic and Rangers for £4.4m and £2m respectively.

Brown’s 2007 transfer went through as the largest between two Scottish clubs.

“They were two or three years older than me but I was being pushed up to their level.

"They were moving on but people didn’t realise that I was still two or three years younger than them,” said Fletcher.

“That’s how the speculation came about. Everybody left and I was sitting there by myself.

“They brought in a few good lads and that’s what kept me right at the club.

“But I was thinking am I ever going to move? Am I going to see my contract out at Hibs?

“I’m just glad the gaffer has given me the opportunity to show everybody what I can do.

“My family kept me grounded, I kept my head down and I just worked hard and it’s paid off now.”

Celtic were expected to renew their interest this summer, but Fletcher said: “It went quiet while I was on holiday so I wasn’t really thinking about that.

"Then when I got the opportunity to come here, I came down and spoke to the gaffer and knew it was the right place.

“There wouldn’t have been a dilemma (regarding Celtic) if I’d have come down here first and spoke to the gaffer; I think I would have signed here anyway because his enthusiasm for football and the way he wants the club to play is great.

“As soon as I came down he came and met me at the car, shook my hand and took me up to his office.”

The personal touch impressed the 22–year–old. But there was another deal breaker.

“I think it was when he said I was the best player he’d seen!” he laughed.

“It’s just the way he talks to you, and Sandy (Stewart) the coach as well. I know him from back up in Scotland. It all felt right at the time.

“The manager wants to play football and that’s what strikers want to do. They don’t want to be chasing balls.”