Football | How a former Manchester United player became a Napoli legend
He's one of two Scottish players that helped Napoli win Serie A
Scott McTominay was already a hero at Napoli after some defining goals. However, as he collapsed to the ground in tears of joy after helping them to the Serie A title, he cemented his place as a legend of the club.
Author | Jamie P
McTominay hooked in a fine acrobatic volley - his 12th goal of the season - to give Napoli the lead against Cagliari, before former Manchester United team-mate Romelu Lukaku made the game safe with a second.
That home win ensured they held off Champions League finalists Inter Milan to claim their fourth Serie A title.
As soon after the final whistle went, the 28-year-old Scotland midfielder was named Serie A's Most Valuable Player for 2024-25.
READ MORE | The day McTominay moved from Manchester United to Napoli
READ MORE | The match report from European Super Football
READ MORE | Napoli news and stories from European Super Football
Leaving United, the club where he had spent nearly all his life for a new country last summer was a brave move. It now looks an inspired decision.
There have been tattoos, flags, cakes and even a shrine of McTominay. Fans wearing kilts too. Naples is a city that treats their heroes like gods , most notably the legendary Diego Maradona. The fact we're even mentioning these two players in this paragraph is quite remarkable.
Last summer, the player wanted a change of scenery, and United wanted money to help them fit in with the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
The Lancaster-born player had been with United for over 20 years, first attending a soccer school at the club aged five, but made the decision to have a change of scenery.
A fee of £25.7m looks like an absolute bargain now. What a season he's had. Did Manchester United make a mistake letting him go?
The stats behind his success
McTominay has scored 12 goals in 34 Serie A games for Napoli, netting another one in the Coppa Italia.
He was the Serie A player of the month for April and is shortlisted again for May. Now he is the MVP, effectively the player of the season.
READ MORE | Sports news from Super News Affiliate
McTominay is the top-scoring midfielder in Serie A this season. By comparison, he only bagged 19 goals in 178 Premier League games for United.
The success comes from playing more of an attacking central midfield role in Conte's team. In a lot of his time for United, he played as a defensive midfielder. For Scotland he actually started as a defender in a back three. His versatility is clearly a huge strength for club and country.
Comments
Post a Comment