Former Everton star James McFadden is delighted seeing Stoke City midfielder Darren Fletcher back in action for Scotland.

Fletcher was first diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2008, but it wasn't until December 2011, after a Champions League match with Basle, that he first shared the details of his problem with a small and trusted group of his Manchester United team-mates.

McFadden recalls how Fletcher struggled to deal with the issue — it took him 18 months to finally accept that surgery was his best option for a full recovery — and stayed in contact with him on the long journey back from his very worst times.

"I saw him a few times and spoke to him quite a bit," he told the Daily Mail. "There wasn't a timescale put on it and I don't think he knew how to deal with it. Darren's a private guy. He's not flashy. He's very humble and he just got on with it.

"He came back and never missed a minute last year for West Brom. He is still playing in the Premier League with Stoke. He is a fantastic asset and I'm absolutely delighted for him."