Exeter City will use United’s Carrington training base today ahead of the trip to the Etihad Stadium.
Stuart James Print Sports Editor
05:41, 09 Jan 2026
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Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell has called in a favour from his old Scotland international Darren Fletcher to help the Grecians prepare for their FA Cup third round clash at Manchester City on Saturday.
The City chief and the caretaker Manchester United boss are good friends from their days together with the Tartan Army and after the draw was made, Caldwell contacted Fletcher to see if the Grecians could use United’s Carrington training base ahead of the trip to the Etihad Stadium.
At the time, Fletcher’s role with the Old Trafford giants was as their Under-18s head coach, but Fletcher now finds himself in caretaker charge of United following the sacking of Ruben Amorim on Monday.
Nonetheless, the Grecians flew to Manchester yesterday afternoon after a training session at the Cliff Hill training ground, where they will stay overnight before final preparations for the big Cup clash later today at Carrington.
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Interim Head Coach Darren Fletcher of Manchester United speaks during a press conference at Carrington Training Ground on January 06, 2026 in Manchester, England(Image: Manchester United via Getty Imag)
“I phoned Darren Fletcher a few weeks ago and kind of asked him if we could do that and we’re really thankful to him and Manchester United for allowing us to train there,” Caldwell said. “But he’s got a bit busier since!
“I am delighted for him to take the (United) team last night (in a 2-2 draw at Burnley), it’s an incredible honour for him. He’s a brilliant person and we thank him for allowing to train there.
“I hope to see him, but I think he’ll be quite busy preparing for his own FA Cup tie (against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday) but it’s great that we can do that.
“I think the players will enjoy that experience as well and to travel today, I think, helps us. We’ve had some horrendous journeys up north this season, to do that on a Friday is really, really difficult, so to do it today and allow us to rest and recover tomorrow is very good.”
If playing at the Etihad Stadium will be a special moment for the Exeter players, then preparing at Carrington – recently refurnished at a cost of £50 million – will as well. There are a few United fans within the Exeter ranks and the moment will only add to what will be a memorable weekend for the Grecians, regardless of the result.
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(Image: Steve Taylor/PPAUK)
“It’s a tour of Manchester,” said midfielder Reece Cole. “It will be nice to go and see facilities of an elite team’s training ground and to go and train there will be really good.
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“I think it’s nice the way we’ve done it. We’ve travelled up two days before and we can really knuckle down and focus on what we need to do. It’ll be another great experience going to see and training at Man United’s training ground.”
“We have got the opportunity to potentially go to the stadium tomorrow afternoon to kind of get comfortable with the environment, which I think is important because it is a big stadium, it is a different environment and it will have the glitz and the glamour of a Premier League team,” Caldwell said. “We don’t face that every week, although we have played Huddersfield, Cardiff and Bolton recently, so it’s given us an insight into bigger stadiums in comparison to our league.
“I think the environment, the players being comfortable with the environment is another aspect of the game that we have to be ready for, but ultimately, again, once the whistle goes, it’s the same pitch as SJP or any other pitch in League One.”