"I’ve heard" - Exclusive: David Prutton opens up on Steven Fletcher situation at Wrexham AFC if promoted | OneFootball

Veteran striker Fletcher has continued to impress for the Red Dragons, but is out of contract this summer

Former Premier League midfielder and current Sky Sports pundit David Prutton has backed veteran Wrexham striker Steven Fletcher to continue to make an impact for the club in the Championship, if they win promotion from League One this season, with his contract currently set to expire in June.

38-year-old Fletcher is closing in on the end of his 22nd season as a professional footballer, having previously featured for the likes of Hibernian, Wolves, Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday, among numerous others, prior to his 2023 move to the Red Dragons.

The ex-Scotland international centre-forward has continued to be a force in the lower leagues since he joined Wrexham, with eight goals in 33 league appearances last season as he helped them win promotion to League One.

Phil Parkinson's side are currently on track for a third successive promotion, this time to the second-tier, and Fletcher has still found the net regularly throughout this term in their bid to make history. His contract situation is yet to be resolved, but he has been backed to succeed once again in the Championship, if handed the opportunity.

David Prutton issues 'key' Steven Fletcher verdict as Wrexham eye promotion

Fletcher has bagged eight goals in 36 league appearances this season, with his role mainly being to appear off the bench to decide games for the Red Dragons, which he has done to devastating effect so far.

He signed a one-year extension to his Wrexham contract last summer, and Sky Sports presenter and pundit Prutton has backed him to earn another new deal soon at 38-years-old, with his quality and experience set to be vital to Parkinson's squad if they are preparing for Championship football next season.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, he said: “Yeah, I think you’ve got a very experienced player in there. Whether their recruitment policy of bringing in slightly older players works in the division above, we shall see.

“But if it gets them out of League One, that’s the first port of call. They don’t seem to be in a position where they won’t be able to spend or don’t want to spend.

“They will be able to strengthen in areas, but I think Steven, given his experience at the highest level, would be a key member of that, if it is about bringing younger players through that don’t have that much experience at that level.

“From what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard, he is a good teammate. He is a good member of any squad that he has been a part of, and he is part of a Wrexham side that is really endearing itself to their fans.”

Fletcher has bags of vital experience - he will surely sign a new deal at Wrexham

Not many, if any, players in League One can boast a career path like Fletcher's, and even though he was considering retirement prior to joining Wrexham in 2023, his quality has proven too much for numerous defences this season, and he does not look done quite yet as the Red Dragons edge closer to a second-tier return after 43 years away.

The 38-year-old has racked up over 180 appearances in the Premier League from his time with Burnley, Wolves and Sunderland, while he also played in Ligue 1 and the Europa League at Marseille, and has 33 caps and 10 goals to his name for Scotland on the international stage.

Despite all of that, he admitted last week in an interview with Wrexham's media channels that his time in North Wales has been up there as "one of my favorite parts of my career," and has questioned why he would want to end his playing days right now when he is on such a high.

With that said, it certainly feels like he would be open to continuing his journey at Wrexham this summer, if the club see fit to offer him fresh terms.

Fletcher has also not publicly hidden his desire to earn a contract extension at the club. He posted to his Instagram account in the aftermath of their recent win over Burton Albion, in which he scored the opener, and replied with a "👀" emoji to a question posed by a fan in the replies about the possibility of a new deal being penned soon.

It certainly seems like a no-brainer for Wrexham to give Fletcher one more year, especially if it is on reduced terms as they work to bolster other areas of their squad in the transfer window.

They must seal promotion to the Championship first though, with just one point separating them and third-placed Wycombe Wanderers, and four cup-final esque games left to play this season.