Summary
Billy Gilmour has began to impress in Italy in recent times after joining Napoli last summer.
After a slow start to his Serie A career, the midfielder is beginning to impress more.
Gilmour and fellow Scottish international Scott McTominay have proved to be important to Napoli's title charge.
If there is one player who has become the talk of Italy this season, it is without a shadow of a doubt Scott McTominay. The former Manchester United midfielder completed his move to Napoli last summer and has been nothing short of a sensation in Serie A, with some going as far as to say he had become the best player in the entire division.
His performances have helped Antonio Conte's men stay on the tail of league leaders Inter Milan, with just three points separating the two teams at the time of writing. It cannot be argued that McTominay has quickly become a fan favourite in his new home. However, he's not the only Scottish midfielder who arrived at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium at the beginning of the season.
In fact, on the very same day, former Chelsea and Brighton star Billy Gilmour also made the switch in what was a far more understated transfer. The 23-year-old was tipped for big things when he first broke through at Chelsea, and the move to Italy provided a big opportunity to showcase his talents on a new stage. And seven months on, the Italian media have made their feelings clear on how the Scottish international has done so far.
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The midfielder has been used more off the bench this season but is finding his feet
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While his compatriot McTominay made a near-immediate impact, it was a far slower and more subdued start to life in Naples for Gilmour, as he found himself getting more regular minutes off the bench than from the start. In fact, from his 20 appearances in total so far, 11 have come as a substitute, and he has averaged just 46.55 minutes per appearance.
However, things do appear to be looking up for the 23-year-old, as over the last few weeks, his role in the team has slowly increased. Gilmour has started in the last four Serie A games and played the full ninety minutes in two of those fixtures. This includes the most recent 2-1 victory over AC Milan – a game in which all but condemned Joao Felix to failure status following his loan move to the Italian giants.
In that very game, Gilmour grabbed his first assist of the season, setting up Romelu Lukaku for his goal. Following this performance, the Italian media were quick to praise the Scotsman for his recent improvement and explained why he had been handed more responsibility in recent weeks.
Gilmour
Speaking on his display, Corriere dello Sport, as per the Herald, wrote: "There are several reasons why Conte no longer takes him off. One of these is the assist for Lukaku. An inexhaustible factory of plots, he stretches the team with his pace." Meanwhile, Tuttanapoli said of the midfielder: "Clear and perfect in the timing of the ball that makes Lukaku happy. He puts intelligence in every play he makes, with dynamism and a sense of position."
Meanwhile, former Fiorentina and Rangers player Lorenzo Amoruso commented on the fact that Gilmour just needed time to get used to his new surroundings, saying, as per the Daily Record: "I think that the time it takes to integrate can be different depending on the player. Antonio knew Billy, perhaps the player took a little longer to understand the Italian championship, which is very different from the others and from the British ones."
"The Scotsman is having an excellent second part of the season and is proving to be an extraordinary player."
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Gilmour on Life in Naples
The midfielder has explained what settling into life in Italy was like
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Not many British players in recent history have made the jump abroad, but speaking to the Athletic, Gilmour revealed how the transition to life in Italy has been for him.
"You can go out," the 23-year-old somewhat surprisingly explained. "You do get noticed, but it's a nice thing. People just want to congratulate you, to tell you to keep doing what you're doing.
"If you go out with Scott McTominay, it's crazy: they recognise him immediately. The culture, the lifestyle, the city are totally different.
"You experience things you wouldn't back in the UK. It's an eye-opener."
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt - accurate as of 03/04/2025.