Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher has insisted that he has no plans to retire, despite dealing with a chronic bowel condition.

The Scotsman was forced to drop out of the Red Devils side last November after being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, which has sparked rumours that the playmaker may consider hanging up his boots.

"It's not really an option, I just want to keep playing," Goal.com quotes Fletcher as saying. "I know someday I will be back. I'm only 28 years old and to talk of retirement, I'm not really thinking about that. I want to give myself every opportunity to get back.

"I've not started training yet but I'm just listening to the doctors and just taking my time really. It's so difficult to talk about because it was such an unexpected illness. I just have to take each day as it comes and at the moment I feel like I'm capable of coming back, then I'll try and come back."

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson recently claimed that if Fletcher is unable to return to first-team action, he will be given a role within the club.