Scott McTominay: The journey from Manchester United to Scotland and Napoli
Marta Suárez
— · 2 min read
Scott McTominay talks about psychology, his life of winning and hard work, and how some players can exemplify that and others can't. He says the will to never give up has been in him since childhood and he knows every Scotland player has that quality. "Whenever a player takes the field he can be the first to see," McTominay tells BBC Sport, referring to Michael Jordan, the former NBA legend. "He said that when a player comes to the stadium, he can be the first to see."
The Scotland midfielder said he is a tutor and mentor to some of the new players, such as youngsters Tyler Fletcher and Findlay Curtis. "I'm pretty hard on some," he says. "The right way of life is even more important off the pitch, because you can ruin your whole career with what you do off the pitch."
He recalls how he entered Manchester United's development set-up at the age of five. He left Lancaster to become part of the club's stay-at-home program, which faced many challenges. He played sparingly in under-18 football in his first season.
McTominay made just two appearances for the Under-21s in his first season. His weight increased with his height. He trained with several players in his early years, such as Michael Carrick and Ashley Young.
He made his senior team debut in 2017, when Jose Mourinho awarded him the manager's player of the year award.
McTominay played in the Scotland squad in the 2018 draw against Costa Rica.
He eventually moved to Napoli, where he won the Serie A title in 2024–25.
McTominay has 70 caps and has played in various positions. Along with his trip, he is an icon for his fans, ahead of the first match in Scotland's qualifiers.
