Former England captain David Beckham spoke glowingly about a future Scotland international when facing Rangers as an AC Milan player in 2009
Former Rangers wonderkid John Fleck once received glowing praise from David Beckham after sharing the pitch with the ex-England captain. Beckham’s paludits came after the then-17-year-old Fleck had started for Rangers in a glamour friendly against AC Milan in February 2009.
A month earlier, Fleck had been given his first start for Rangers by Walter Smith. There was plenty of excitement about the club’s latest academy graduate, who held his own against Carlo Ancelotti’s team of stars.
There were plenty of fans in attendance at Ibrox as Rangers battled to a 2-2 draw against Milan. The Scottish giants took the lead through DaMarcus Beasley and later equalised with a Sasa Papac goal, earning a draw against a Milan side that featured the likes of Beckham, Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf, Ronaldinho and Andriy Shevchenko.
However, it was Fleck who most caught Beckham’s attention in the Rangers side. The England legend, who was on loan from LA Galaxy, addressed the comparisons that had been made between Fleck and Wayne Rooney.
“John is a good player and it is great for any young player to have the chance to play for such a big club as Rangers,” Beckham said after the Rangers friendly. “And it’s also great experience for him to have played against some of the best players we have got at Milan.
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“People say there have been comparisons between John and Wayne. There aren’t too many players like Wayne in my experience.
“Wayne is a special player, but any player who is compared with a world-class talent like Wayne has a real chance.”
For his part, Fleck shunned the comparisons with Rooney. The teenager was aware of the expectations being placed on him and urged fans to be more patient.
“People definitely expected too much of me,” Fleck told Sky Sports in 2010. “I’m still a young boy and I think people expected me just to come out and be like Wayne Rooney every week but that’s not going to happen.
“He’s a world-class player and it takes time for a young boy to come through. I’m willing to be patient but hopefully I’ll get my chance. I’ve been involved for the last couple of years now, coming off the bench and things like that, so hopefully this will be the season for me.”
Fleck did enjoy success at Rangers, being part of three title-winning teams and clinching the 2008 Scottish Cup, but the young prodigy failed to reach the heights of Rooney’s career. In October 2019, more than a decade on from Beckham’s praise, Fleck earned his first cap for Scotland. A five-time international, he will likely be keeping a close eye on Scotland’s World Cup qualifier in Greece on Saturday.
Fleck made 58 appearances across five seasons at Rangers before signing for Coventry City in 2012. However, it was after his four-year stint with the Sky Blues that Fleck arguably enjoyed the best spell of his career.
The midfielder joined Sheffield United in 2016 and became a pivotal player under Chris Wilder as the Blades rose from League One to the Premier League. In the 2019/20 campaign, Fleck made 30 league appearances as he helped to guide Sheffield United to ninth in the table.
After seven-and-a-half years, Fleck left Sheffield United after making 278 appearances. He signed for Blackburn Rovers in February 2024 but was limited to just one game after injury ruled him out for the rest of the season. Upon leaving Ewood Park, Fleck joined League Two club Chesterfield.
The 34-year-old played 20 matches last term and his contract was subsequently extended for another year. Fleck has featured on 10 occasions for Chesterfield so far this season. While comparisons with Rooney may have proved wide of the mark, Fleck managed to forge a career that would be the envy of most players.
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