Can you imagine scoring late goals and coming clutch for your team, but never being seen as good enough? This sounds almost impossible, but it was the story of Scott McTominay at Manchester United.
He didn’t seem like a technically gifted or a special midfielder.
He was berated by fans and even managers because he had a large physical presence and none of that midfield flair, but when jobs were at stake, he was the man they turned to.
Over time, McTominay built his reputation as a goal-scoring midfielder, and many fans believe he should have been a striker. His recent success at Napoli has caused more people to think that there is more to McTominay than meets the eye.
Early Life and Football Beginnings
Born in Lancaster, England, McTominay spent his early years at Manchester United’s development center in Preston before moving to the club’s academy at age five, where he became a part of the football pipeline that made future stars.
In his teen years, McTominay was a small lad, under 5 feet 7 inches, and he spent most of his time in midfield, playing between the lines and creating for other teammates. Although he did spend some time playing as a forward, midfield was seen as his most natural position.
As McTominay progressed to the Under-18s, he began to struggle mostly due to his size. His physical development had seemed to stall when his mates were growing into their bodies.
But in the space of 18 months, McTominay experienced a growth spurt which saw him grow up to 6 feet 4 inches.
Although this growth spurt gave him a physical advantage, it came with a lot of challenges. McTominay struggled with injuries, a lack of coordination, and, in his words, had to grow into his own body.
He struggled again when playing for the Under-19s and Under-21 in the 2015-16 season, but in the following season, he commanded a place in the team, scoring three goals in 21 games, leading to his call-up to the first team.
Breaking into the First Team
McTominay made it into the Manchester United senior squad under Jose Mourinho as a defensive-minded midfielder.
Mourinho was a fan of McTominay’s hard work and discipline, and relied on his physicality and hardwork to pressure opponents and see out games.
Eventually, Scott McTominay made his Manchester United debut and first Premier League appearance in Manchester United’s 2-0 win over Arsenal on May 7, 2017.
The “McFred Era”
Having found his feet in Manchester United under Mourinho, McTominay became a key part of a new era of leadership as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over the role of head coach.
With Solskjaer taking over, there were huge expectations for the club, but instead, they slipped into one of their most turbulent periods. This era was defined by the infamous midfield partnership between McTominay and Fred that fans pejoratively dubbed “McFred”.
Manchester United football club heading to tour off the back of our worst ever premier league season with a weaker team.
— UsmaanTalksUtd (@UsmaanTalkUTD) July 7, 2022
McFred still starting and calamities Maguire still at the back. Nothing of note has changed thus far.
ETH isn’t a miracle worker he needs players! #MUFC
Sitting as a part of the pivot for United’s midfield, McTominay enjoyed a lot of game time, but it was in this period that fans began to see his lack of technical dominance. It also didn’t help that Manchester United had issues all over the pitch, especially with Harry Maguire in defence.
Although he was mainly played as a holding midfielder, McTominay was known for his ability to score goals. He was constantly making runs into the box and using his physical and aerial ability to score goals.
Despite his goal-scoring abilities, he was a pivotal piece in a stale midfield partnership that would never allow Manchester United to dominate at the level the club wanted.
He was always seen as one of the players the club needed to upgrade on.
As United changed managers from Solskjaer to Ragnick and then Ten Hag, it felt inevitable that McTominay would leave the club, but in spite of this, he was reliable and gave his all when called upon.
Coming Clutch For Manchester United
In September 2019 vs Arsenal, McTominay scored Manchester United’s only goal in the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford. On 8 March 2020, he scored United’s second goal in a 2–0 win at home to Manchester City.
In January 2021, McTominay was the captain in the FA Cup game against Watford and scored the only goal of the game as United won 1–0. A year later, he was the difference as Manchester United beat Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round.
Although he started seeing less game time from the 2022/23 season when Manchester United bought Casemiro, he was still United’s go-to player when everything seemed bleak, especially in the 2023/24 season.
In Manchester United’s game vs Brentford in October 2023, he came on in the 87th minute and scored a brace to help Manchester United to a 2-1 win.
A month later, he scored in the 3-3 draw vs Galatasaray before getting a brace as Manchester United beat Chelsea 2-1.
Against Aston Villa in February 2024, He scored the winning goal in United’s 2-1 victory. A month later, he scored the opening goal and got an assist in extra time as Manchester United earned a dramatic 4-3 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup quarterfinals. He was also on the scoresheet in the semifinals vs Coventry City.
The Flying Scotsman
Although he was the subject of banter and seen as surplus to requirements for Manchester United from the 2022/23 season after the club bought Casemiro, McTominay was a beacon of hope for Scotland.
During the qualifiers for the EURO 2024, McTominay’s performances literally dragged Scotland all the way to the competition.
“If Diego Maradona is God, Scott McTominay is Jesus.”
– Diego Maradona Jr.
He scored two late goals in the first game of UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers to help Scotland beat Cyprus 3-0, and he didn’t look back. Three days later, he scored another brace in a 2–0 win over Spain.
By the end of the qualifiers, he was Scotland’s top scorer and the sixth-highest goal scorer of the qualifying round with 7 goals.
One more time couldn't hurt…#SCODEN pic.twitter.com/kRQyN0Fzi6
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) November 18, 2025
He also translated this form to Scotland’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. Needing a win to secure automatic qualification, McTominay scored a stunning overhead kick as Scotland beat Denmark 4-2 and qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
Becoming a god in Naples
In August 2024, after spending seven years at Manchester United, McTominay completed a move to Napoli.
Speaking on the transfer, then Manchester United coach Erik Ten Hag said he believes the move worked out for everybody, and maybe he didn’t know he was being prophetic, but the move actually worked out for everybody, especially for McTominay.
At Napoli, McTominay became the talk of the town. He was never seen as a technically gifted player at Manchester United, but at Napoli, he found his edge. He was so good that his performances started to put the entire Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia acrimonious departure sagas in the rearview mirror.
In April 2025, he became the first Scottish player to win the Serie Player of the Month award as he scored five goals across all league matches that month, and this was just one of his many achievements.
Dominating The Serie A
Scot McTominay was famous for crashing the box and finding the back of the net with relative ease. He finished the season with 12 goals and 4 assists, and was Napoli’s most important player as he helped them win their second Scudetto (Serie A title) in three years.
What was even more remarkable about his rise is that he immediately became a fan favorite at Napoli. He won the Serie A MVP (Most Valuable Player) for the 2024/25 season and was instantly named a Napoli icon.
How do you explain that someone who was seen as an average player at Manchester United dominated the Serie A in his first season, was named a Napoli icon, and even caused the fans to overlook the heroics of Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia, who helped Napoli win their first Scudetto in 33 years?
Diego Maradona’s son on Mctominay 😳 pic.twitter.com/Iq8Yk3oDEh
— King Phelz (@KingPhelz) March 23, 2026
Maradona’s son even had high praise for McTominay: “If Diego Maradona is God, Scott McTominay is Jesus.” He’s basically calling McTominay the second most important player in Napoli’s history.
Fans erected a shrine in his honor and also nicknamed him “McFratm,” which is the Italian translation for “McBrother’.
In that season, he finished 18th in the Balon d’Or standings, higher than the likes of Bellingham, Rice, and Haaland. He was just four points behind Lewandowski, who finished in 17th place.
How does this happen?
Scott McTominay is becoming a true superstar of European & World Football. Serie A MVP, Ballon d'Or nominee, more league goals than any central midfielder in Europe's top 5 leagues, adored & loved by an entire fanbase, the new king of Naples.
— Adam (@AdamJoseph) August 24, 2025
How can you not be happy for him? https://t.co/SJTycrWprk pic.twitter.com/krL7a3xQ2c
Escaping the Manchester United Graveyard
How did McTominay become a different player in less than a year? Simple, he left Manchester United.
A midfielder who was average for seven years is now dancing at the level of world-class talents; it honestly seems like a miracle, but it’s really not.
Manchester United was the problem; the decade-long graveyard of talents. Shocking but hard truth.
Popularly known as the Theatre of Dreams, Manchester United is now where dreams come to die, and McTominay’s story just sheds light on an undiscovered pattern.
Romelu Lukaku
Before McTominay, there was Lukaku, who joined Manchester United for £75 million in 2017.
He was signed on a five-year deal but ended up playing only two, and although he scored 42 goals in 96 games for the club, he was mocked for his heavy first touch and didn’t develop into the prolific striker many expected him to be.
But guess what happened when he left Manchester United for Inter Milan? His numbers went up. 34 goals in all competitions in his first season and 30 goals in his second, while helping win the Scudetto. He was also awarded Serie A MVP for the 2020/21 season.
Jadon Sancho
Take a minute to think about Sancho.
He was unarguably one of the best wingers before United bought him from Dortmund, and the moment he dons the United shirt, he loses himself. Think I’m wrong? His loan spells at Chelsea and Dortmund showed that he was still that guy the whole world adored.
Antony and Dean Henderson
Antony and Dean Henderson also come to mind.
Coming from Ajax, Antony was supposed to bring his excellence and become an elite winger at Manchester United, but he never showed that in his time at Manchester United. The moment he leaves for Real Betis, he can’t stop scoring, wins La Liga player of the month in his first month in the league, and leads Betis to the UEFA Europa Conference League final.
Dean Henderson was struggling for game time, then left for Crystal Palace, and everyone is asking how United let him go. He became an instant starter at Palace and was a hero in their 1-0 FA Cup win vs Manchester City in 2025.
Dan James
Dan James also falls into this category, as he had to leave Manchester United for Leeds United after failing to find his feet. At Leeds, he will be one that the streets won’t forget, especially for his role in the 2023/24 promotion push, where he scored 13 goals and recorded 8 assists as Leeds returned to the Premier League.
Rashford and Hojlund
We can go on to talk about Rashford moving to Barcelona and how it felt like watching a new player, or about Hojlund, who moved to United and became a shadow of himself, but upon returning to the Serie A, is now an integral part of Conte’s team and has found his scoring boots again.
McTominay Was Never The Problem
Scott McTominay never fit the image of what a modern Manchester United midfielder is supposed to be. The club was never going to build the project around him or even with him in it.
He isn’t the most technically gifted, nor the most aesthetically pleasing on the ball, and for that reason, he has spent much of his career being questioned rather than celebrated.
But at Napoli, he found himself and is being celebrated for what he has to offer. He even changed his hairstyle and plays with more swagger. And the biggest surprise is that he has outclassed Kevin de Bruyne consistently since the latter made the switch from Manchester to Naples.
His impact on this Napoli team cannot be understated, and honestly, if everyone who leaves suddenly starts winning, maybe the problem was never Scott McTominay.
Who wrote this?
Wisdom Aghe is a creative whose passions include sports, video editing, writing and a little bit of design. With these skills and a curious mind, Wisdom takes interest in creating sports content and holding interesting sports conversations. He loves sports and it's his happy place. He spends his leisure time playing football, playing games and reading.
