Fletcher fears Keane is irreplaceable

Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher believes, no matter who the club signs this summer, no one can replace the recently departed Roy Keane.

Keane’s tenure at the club saw United win the European Cup, seven Premier League titles and four FA Cups before the Irishman left in November.

Fletcher feels there is little chance of finding a player who can match his former team-mate’s all-round qualities.

“Everyone’s talking about replacing Roy Keane and that will never happen,” said the 22-year-old.

“No matter who you talk about, you can talk about (Michael) Ballack, you can talk about whoever you want, but they won’t replace Roy Keane.

“That’s not taking anything away from their footballing ability but Roy Keane was a one-off. He was a great player on the pitch and he had the leadership qualities no one else had. He combined both.”