Scott McTominay believes Manchester United failed to make the most of his strengths at Old Trafford before his Italian switch.
The Scotland star came through the Red Devils ranks before Jose Mourinho gave him his debut against Arsenal in 2017.
The Portuguese boss began to favour the 28-year-old ahead of £85m record signing Paul Pogba in the deep lying number 6 position.
But the midfielder, who has joined Billy Gilmour in taking Antonio Conte's Napoli team on a serious Serie A title charge, has spoken out about how he was never applied properly at the Premier League giants.
He was also regularly utilised as a centre-back with the Scotland national team under Steve Clarke - another role he believes he is wasted in.
In an interview with The Athletic, McTominay explained: “When I got into the first team, I was quite misprofiled in where I was playing. It wasn’t the fault of any coaches.
"My strengths have always been getting into the box, scoring goals, being a problem in there.
"But I was being used as a No 6, or as a centre-back, and that has never really been my game.
“But when you’re playing for Manchester United and you’re 20, you can’t knock on the manager’s door and say that you expect to be playing at No 8 ahead of Paul Pogba. It’s not realistic.
Paul Pogba was a midfielder conundrum at Manchester United
Paul Pogba was a midfielder conundrum at Manchester United (Image: Getty Images)
"You have to know your place, and do what you’re asked to do. In the last few seasons, I began to get into the box a bit more, to score more goals, and then last year was my best one.”
True to his word the midfielder has shown his threat with six goals and four assists in 26 league outings for his new club to date.
He doesn't blame any of his coaches over the confusion over his best suited role.
A move to Naples instantly appealed when the opportunity arose for the Scotland star who admitted: “Things were difficult in Manchester.
"I didn’t know what was happening exactly. And you instantly know Napoli, the passion of the fans, the quality of the league.”