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- On Friday evening, Scott McTominay scored a fantastic acrobatic volley to give Napoli the lead in their title-winning clash against Cagliari
- When the referee blew his whistle to signal the end of the match, McTominay collapsed to the ground with tears rolling down his cheeks
- And the city of Naples has already started treating him like a god – there have been cakes, flags, tattoos and even a shrine to celebrate him
After one season in the Italian league, Scott McTominay has already established himself as a hero. On Friday evening, McTominay scored a fantastic acrobatic volley to give Napoli the lead in their title-winning clash against Cagliari. His former teammate at Manchester United, Romelu Lukaku, then sealed the win by scoring Napoli’s second goal.
When the referee blew his whistle to signal the end of the match, McTominay collapsed to the ground with tears of joy rolling down his cheeks. He had just cemented his his place as a legend of the club. And the city of Naples has already started treating him like a god – there have been cakes, flags, tattoos and even a shrine to celebrate him.
Scott McTominay and his international teammate Billy Gilmour. The two joined Napoli last summer and have played a significant role in the Naples winning the Serie A title. Photo/ BBC.
So, how did McTominay go from a target of criticism at Manchester United because “he wasn’t good enough” to being one of the best players in the world?
Why Wasn’t McTominay Loved At Manchester United?
McTominay was part of Manchester United’s squad that had their worst ever finish in the English Premier League. Truth be told, United would have been worse off that campaign without Scott. The midfielder scored several important goals to help United stay afloat. Many of them were late winners or equalizers enough to make him a fan favorite like he is with the Scotland national team.
However, United fans rarely gave him the credit he deserved. In fact, the academy graduate became a target of fans who felt he wasn’t good enough to play for the club. Despite being professional throughout his time at Old Trafford, he often suffered from abuse on social media. And with how things were for Scott at Manchester United, it was understandable when the club decided to cash in on him.
When Napoli’s bid of €30 million was accepted by United, majority of the Red Devils fanbase were happy with the report. Little did they know they would miss the 28-year-old for the quality he added in the club’s midfield for the eight seasons he was their player.
The Unstoppable Rise of Scott McTominay At Napoli
Leaving Manchester United – the club where he took his early steps in football – for Napoli was a brave move. At Napoli, Scott has proven to be one of the finest players in the world. His qualities as a box-crashing chaos merchant have been evident and he has become a fan-favourite in the Italian league. Napoli’s number 8 is a destroyer and a lethal force outside the box.
Whereas Manchester United are having their worst campaign since the mid-1970s and starring at a second season without European football since 1985, Scott is flourishing in Italy. The midfielder has scored 12 goals in 34 Serie A matches and netted another in the Coppa Italia. He was the Serie A Player of the Month for April and was shortlisted again in May. Last night, he was named the Serie A Most Valuable Player of the Season, testament to his amazing career.
Scott McTominay. Photo/ 101 Great Goals.
McTominay is the top scoring midfield in the Italian top flight. The love he has gotten in Naples can’t be compared to that of the legendary Diego Maradona but he’s still adored as much as a mere mortal can be. He has been nicknamed McTerminator, MacGyver, McFratm (which translates as McBro in Neapolitan slang) and apribottiglie (the bottle opener) because most of his goals have been openers.
