McTominay writes fairytale in Naples

With decisive goals and passionate play, McTominay became Napoli's hero.

It took just 28 seconds for Scott McTominay to score his first goal for Napoli in September. Eight months later, the Scot is on his way to becoming a new icon for the city of Naples, leading Antonio Conte's side to a record fourth Serie A title.

McTominay's impressive season

"MacGyver", "McTerminator", "Apribottiglie" or "McFratm" - the people of Naples may call him by any nickname, but one thing is for sure: they love Scott McTominay.

After scoring twice in a 2-0 win over Torino in round 34 of Serie A on April 28, McTominay helped Napoli rise to the top of the rankings with a 3-point gap over Inter Milan, with only 4 rounds left in the season.

McTominay is enjoying the most impressive season of his career with 11 goals in Serie A - enough to break the record for a Scottish player in the competition, surpassing Denis Law's 10 for Torino in the 1961/62 season.

"I really believe I can do more than what I have done so far," McTominay told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "There are games where I feel disappointed because I could have scored more. I haven't taken all the chances."

Seven of McTominay's goals have come in games that have opened the scoring - no player in Serie A has done more in 2024/25. His ability to be in the right place at the right time has earned him the nickname "Apribottiglie" (Bottle Opener) from Napoli fans.

McTominay is having the most impressive season of his career with 11 goals in Serie A.

Not only did McTominay score goals on the pitch, he also won over the people of Naples with his efforts to integrate into the local culture. He learned Italian to the point where he could answer interviews without a translator, and even recorded messages in Italian for fans.

Team-mate Billy Gilmour revealed that he couldn't walk down the street with McTominay without being mobbed by people. McTominay's closeness to the fans has made him a new idol in a city with a strong footballing tradition.

"I love the tomatoes that grow here," McTominay once said of the local cuisine , demonstrating his genuine interest in Neapolitan culture.

Conte's winning formula

Under Antonio Conte, McTominay was freed from the defensive midfield role he played at Manchester United. At Napoli, he was given the freedom to play as an attacking midfielder, joining the attack and penetrating the opposition's penalty area to score goals.

The two goals against Torino perfectly illustrated this role: both came from runs into the box, one from a Frank Anguissa cross and one from the right.

With four games remaining, Napoli face teams in the bottom half of the table - Lecce, Parma and Cagliari - despite still fighting to avoid relegation.

Meanwhile, defending champions Inter Milan are going through a crisis with three defeats in eight days, including a 1-0 loss to Roma on April 27.

Under Antonio Conte, McTominay was liberated from the defensive midfield role he usually played at Manchester United.

If Napoli retain their top spot, it will be the club's fourth Serie A title. And if Diego Maradona was the face of the first two titles, with Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen sharing the glory last season, then it is likely that McTominay - or "McFratm" to the Neapolitans - will be remembered as the face of this season's glory.

While McTominay is getting all the attention, Napoli are still a star-studded side. Romelu Lukaku contributed 12 goals and 10 assists, while centre-back Alessandro Buongiorno also made a huge difference defensively.

However, in difficult times when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia left and the team struggled to create chances, it was McTominay who stepped up, as in last week's 1-0 win over Monza with a decisive header.

From Manchester to Naples, from Old Trafford scrapper to Diego Armando Maradona hero, Scott McTominay is writing his own fairytale. And with every goal, every win, the 'Scottish man in Naples' is getting closer to carving his name into the history books of the southern Italian club.

Source: https://znews.vn/mctominay-viet-chuyen-co-tich-o-napoli-post1549585.html