Napoli lead the Serie A standings by three points with four games left to play
14:07, 03 May 2025
Billy Gilmour (middle) celebrates with his Napoli teammates(Image: Andrea Staccioli/Insidefoto/REX/Shutterstock)
Billy Gilmour has outlined the turning point in Napoli's season that turned them from believers into genuine challengers for the Scudetto.
With just four games remaining, Antonio Conte's side sit three points clear of Inter Milan at the top of Serie A as they look to win their second league title in three years, having only won previously two Scudetto's (in 1987 and 1990) in their entire 98-year long history.
Gilmour hasn't quite been able to hit the ground running in Naples like his Scotland teammate Scott McTominay, who has spearheaded Gli Azzuri's title charge with 12 strikes in 32 Serie A matches, including five goals in his last three matches.
The playmaker has made 22 outings in Serie A and struggled to hold down a midfield berth alongside McTominay, with the likes of Stanislav Lobotka and Frank Anguissa also providing added competition.
But Gilmour - who like McTominay is gunning to become the first Scot to win Serie A - reckons a 3-2 away victory against Atalanta on January 18 was the moment that Conte and his players truly believed that they could mount a serious challenge to reigning champions Inter.
Speaking to Serie A's official Youtube channel, he said: "You could say that the turning point came against Atalanta away.
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"They went a goal up and we ended up coming back fighting (to win 3-2).
"I think that shows how good the spirit is in this team.
"We always fight until the end and so far this season we have done really well.
Billy Gilmour and Antonio Conte(Image: SSC NAPOLI/SSC NAPOLI via Getty Images)
"We just keep going game-by-game and see how it goes."
The 23-year-old was brought to Napoli by Conte in a £12million deal from Brighton last summer, having briefly worked with the fiery Italian coach when he was coming through Chelsea's youth academy after making the move from Rangers.
And now that he gets to work with the vastly experienced boss - who has won nine Scudettos in total as a player and now as a coach - on a daily basis, Gilmour says Conte's ability to get everything out of his players has been crucial to their surprise title charge.
"I had Antonio Conte when I was younger but only trained with him a couple of times.
"But now working with him every day, he is always very intense and his standards are always high.
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"He pushes you to the max and as players, that is good for us to give our best this season."