Former Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay has cemented his place in Napoli folklore after scoring the decisive goal that clinched the club's fourth Serie A title, completing a remarkable transformation from Premier League castaway to Italian football hero.
In a dramatic final day of the Italian football season, Napoli needed a win against Cagliari to secure the title, with rivals Inter Milan simultaneously playing against Como. As tension mounted at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, it was McTominay who rose to the occasion, connecting with Matteo Politano's cross to score the goal that would ultimately deliver the Scudetto to Naples.
The Scottish international, who joined Napoli last summer after 22 years at Manchester United, has been a revelation under manager Antonio Conte. Playing in a more advanced role than he typically occupied at Old Trafford, McTominay finished the season with an impressive 11 league goals – more than any other central midfielder in Europe.
"I was misprofiled early in my career at United," McTominay had revealed in a recent interview with The Athletic. "They never really played to my strengths – getting into the box, scoring goals, being a problem there." At Napoli, Conte recognized these qualities, deploying McTominay as a box-to-box midfielder with the freedom to make late runs into the penalty area.
The 28-year-old's impact has extended beyond just goals. Seven of his strikes gave Napoli the lead in matches, including crucial goals against title rivals Inter, Juventus, and Roma, earning him the nickname "the bottle opener" among supporters.
McTominay's connection with the city has been equally remarkable. He has embraced Neapolitan culture, frequently expressing his love for the local cuisine, particularly the tomatoes, and the passionate fanbase. In return, Naples has taken him to their hearts – a mural of the midfielder has appeared in the city, while fans have been spotted wearing kilts in tribute to his Scottish heritage.
Locals have affectionately nicknamed him "McFratm" – a fusion of his surname and the Neapolitan word for "my brother" – reflecting his status as an adopted son of the city.
His performances throughout the season have not gone unrecognized officially either, with Serie A naming McTominay as the league's Most Valuable Player – a remarkable achievement for a player in his debut season in Italian football.
The success story raises questions about Manchester United's decision to sell the academy graduate. Former United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer recently commented, "How you can sell Scott is beyond me," while legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson had previously urged Jose Mourinho to give McTominay more playing time during his early years in the first team.
For McTominay, however, the move to Italy has proven transformative. As Napoli celebrated their first title since the 2022-23 season, their Scottish hero stood amid the smoke and fireworks, a "6'4" blue-eyed, blonde-haired Scot turned immortal Neapolitan hero" – proof that sometimes the right player just needs to find the right club to truly fulfill their potential.
