“I was released at 14, and was told I was never going to make it pro. That was the switch in my head that gave me the determination, the want, to prove people wrong!”
Fletcher Holman has had quite the unconventional pathway to professional football. From college football, to step five of non-league, to making a move to a Premier League side, to eventually finding a home at the Nigel Eady County Ground, the 22-year-old has certainly faced his trials and tribulations.
“I wasn’t really enjoying my football after Brighton let me go, so I decided to go and play with my mates to get that love for the game back.”
Whilst at college, Holman was playing on Saturdays for his local non-league side Eastbourne Town.
“Around that time at 17/18, Eastbourne Borough came in and I went there for a couple of months, travelling around the country but not getting any minutes, and I knew I needed to be playing football so went back to the Step 5 side on loan and then went back to Eastbourne Borough on a full-time contract for six months before getting signed by Wolves in the January.”
Holman admitted that his move to Molineux came as a bit of a surprise, especially given how the 2023/24 season began for the forward.
Understand tonight’s Wolves U21 trialist is Fletcher Holman, 19 year old striker currently at Eastbourne Borough. #WWFC | #Wolves https://t.co/2pMoI9Cumm
— Talking Wolves (@TalkingWolves) December 11, 2023
“I spent the first two months of that season sitting on the bench for Eastbourne, still wasn’t really playing and I was close to going to Uni but I decided against it because I wanted to give football a proper chance for the first time in my career, so I put my full focus into it and thankfully I got my chance, hit a bit of form, scored a couple of goals and it all happened very quickly really.”
Town’s number ‘11’ spent two years in the Black Country, where despite never making a competitive first team appearance, he did feature on the bench in a Premier League clash against his boyhood club Arsenal.
“It was a crazy experience, having all my family there, being on the bench against the club I grew up supporting, it was a dream come true and I’m really thankful for being given that opportunity.”
The youngster joined The Robins in January on a permanent deal and impressed almost immediately returning five goals and four assists in 22 league outings.
Fletcher Holman grabbed his first goal for Swindon at the weekend ❤️ https://t.co/YSzgBWFsMo
— Swindon Town Football Club (@Official_STFC) January 27, 2026
“It just felt right coming to Swindon, spoke with the gaffer and everything he said in terms of his principles, the way he wants to play, the characteristics he wants from his attackers – it just suited me to a tee.
“It felt quite easy to slot into the changing room to be fair, I already knew Fil (Mabete) so that made it a bit more comfortable, but the boys were really good with me and kept pushing me every day.”
Unfortunately, Holman picked up an injury in pre-season which would side line him for the opening months of the campaign.
“You don’t really plan or think about these things when you’re out there playing so it’s been quite mentally challenging. I’ve found it hard; I’ve never suffered any injury like this before but I’m so close to being back and I can see that light at the end of the tunnel now.”
