How did Scott McTominay, the surplus man at Old Trafford, become a Neapolitan superhero?

Scott McTominay says his biggest wish is nothing more than happiness. He tries to achieve that with his family, friends, in life as well as on the pitch. Therefore, the Scottish midfielder did not have to think too long to accept Napoli's offer at the end of the summer of 2024.

Growing up in the MU training academy, McTominay always hoped to stay in the red shirt for the rest of his career. But he knew that at MU, he could not become the type of player he wanted.

From the misplaced...

McTominay says he has always been misjudged. “My strengths are getting into the box, causing problems for the opposition defence and scoring goals. But I’ve mostly been used as a No. 6 or centre-back, which I’ve never been good at,” the Lancaster-born player said.

McTominay was always "misplaced" when he was at MU.

Also at MU, McTominay was not highly appreciated. Whenever the team faced the need for reconstruction, a few midfielders would be brought in to threaten McTominay's position. Without complaining or getting angry, McTominay always quietly proved his worth and fought for a place in the squad.

As in the second half of the 2023/24 season, he even played an indispensable role and finished with 10 goals in all competitions, only fewer than Rasmus Hojlund (16 goals) and Bruno Fernandes (15). But even so, McTominay was still put on the sale list. Later, his former coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer exclaimed in amazement, "it is impossible to explain why MU sold Scott".

For Napoli, McTominay is a real asset. Antonio Conte doesn’t want the £25m midfielder to be just a leader in midfield, but also a penalty-box destroyer. He puts him in an attacking role, similar to his No. 10 role in Scotland. On occasion, the Italian has also moved him to the left wing, where Kvicha Kvaratskhelia once played.

The Scottish midfielder and his different stats in Napoli and when he played for MU, with the number of goals, successful dribbles, chances created and winning the ball in the final third of the field being superior.

As a result, McTominay has had a hand in 18 goals in Serie A this season, including 12 goals and 6 assists. This is the best achievement of a midfielder in his first season playing in the top Italian league, 3 more than Kaka in his debut season with AC Milan.

Those were mostly very important goals. Like the away match at Monza, McTominay was the only one to score the 3 points to help Napoli reclaim the top spot from Inter. Or the last match against Cagliari, in a context where the team was under a lot of pressure, the 28-year-old midfielder opened the door to victory with a spectacular scissor kick in the 42nd minute. Napoli won the championship and McTominay also won the Player of the Season award.

According to Naples journalist Vincenzo Credendino, "Conte has adjusted the system to create the best environment for McTominay to develop, because this player is a great attacker." It is no surprise that McTominay is among the top in Serie A this season for the number of touches and successful ball wins in the opponent's 1/3 area, then creating many goals.

McTominay has captured the hearts of Naples with his form and commitment.

...to "happy people"

Another reason for success, McTominay says, is happiness. "When you have a smile on your face, you play better football," the 28-year-old midfielder said.

He settled into the vibrant life of Naples almost immediately. He praised Italian cuisine , not in a way that flattered the Neapolitans, but with genuine insight. He also worked hard to learn Italian through various means, admitting that he was still bad at it, but he was not afraid to communicate with the local fans in their language. Ultimately, he won the hearts of Neapolitans through his desire to be better, his performances on the pitch and his kiss on the club badge.

Although not possessing a history of brilliant success like Juventus, Milan or Inter, Napoli is not inferior to any team in terms of passion. They also created for themselves heroes who fought to bring glory to the club. After Diego Maradona, Lorenzo Insigne, Marek Hamsik, Kvaratskhelia, it is McTominay's turn to enter the legendary temple of Napoli.

McTominay's portrait is painted on the window of a balcony in Naples.

In fact, a shrine to McTominay has been built in San Nicola a Nilo. McTominay's likeness has also been featured on murals around the city, alongside numerous banners hung at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. Neapolitans have also given the Scot a number of nicknames, referring to him as "a Neapolitan Scot".

At first, because McTominay's name was a bit difficult to pronounce, they called him Braveheart , the name of the epic film about Scottish warrior William Wallace fighting against the King of England. They also called McTominay MacGyver because his face was quite similar to this character in the TV series of the same name.

When McTominay showed his destructive form, Naples switched to the nickname McTerminator . Then they realized that the 28-year-old midfielder often helped the team overcome difficulties with opening goals, so the name Apribottiglie (The Corkscrew) was born.

Over time, the bond between McTominay and Napoli grew, everyone called him McFratm , meaning "brother". And McFratm's extraordinary form made Napoli gradually move towards the scudetto, he received a new nickname: Uomo Scudetto , meaning player of the championship season.

McTominay likes the nickname McFratm the most, because it makes him feel like he is truly a part of Napoli. Leaving MU, he is enjoying happiness in his new home, new family, then tasting the sweet taste with them.

Thanh Hai

Source: https://tienphong.vn/scott-mctominay-nguoi-thua-o-old-trafford-tro-thanh-sieu-anh-hung-xu-naples-nhu-the-nao-post1745129.tpo