Scott McTominay left Manchester United for Napoli last summer and the Scotland midfielder has argued that he was often played out of position during his time at Old Trafford
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Scott McTominay celebrates for Napoli
Scott McTominay has spoken about the issue he faced during his Manchester United career
(Image: MB Media, Getty Images)
Scott McTominay has opened up about feeling "misprofiled" during his early days in Manchester United's first team. The 28-year-old midfielder made 255 appearances for his boyhood club but has argued that he spent most of his time being played in the wrong position.
McTominay, who made his senior debut under Jose Mourinho in 2017, found his footing in the United squad during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's time as manager, often playing next to Fred. The duo, referred to as 'McFred', was a staple for United throughout Solskjaer's tenure.
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However, under Erik ten Hag, McTominay took on a more attacking midfield role, showcasing his goal-scoring abilities. Last season, McTominay notched up an impressive 10 goals across competitions, at times earning United crucial points.
Despite his contributions, he only started 18 Premier League games and ended up moving to Napoli in the summer for £25.7million.
He has thrived in Naples, playing a key part in Antonio Conte's squad as they contest Inter Milan for the Scudetto, sitting three points behind the league leaders. The Scotland international has quickly become a fan favourite, scoring seven goals and providing four assists in 31 games across all competitions.
In an interview with the Athletic, McTominay spoke about his first team breakthrough and explained that he was essentially learning on the job as a deep-lying midfielder. "When I got into the first team, I was quite misprofiled in where I was playing," he admitted.
Scott McTominay playing for Manchester United
Scott McTominay made 255 appearances for Manchester United(Image: Ash Donelon, Manchester United via Getty Images)
"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 number six 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 number eight ahead of Paul Pogba. It's not realistic."
"You have to know your place, and do what you're asked to do.," McTominay added. "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.
Scott McTominay celebrates scoring for Napoli
Scott McTominay is aiming to win Serie A with Antonio Conte's side(Image: Mondadori Portfolio, Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)
"They would always sign someone who wouldn't necessarily be what people expected them to be. My mentality was that I was always there, ready to go, ready to take my opportunity.
"I always wanted to prove my worth, to show I could play every game. It's not the sort of thing that affects me. You can only be in control of what you do."
Discussing his decision to move to Napoli, McTominay is enjoying his time in Serie A. "Things were difficult in Manchester. I didn't know what was happening exactly," McTominay said. "And you instantly know Napoli, the passion of the fans, the quality of the league.
"People have to be careful when people say Italy or Spain aren't on a par with the Premier League. Physically and tactically, I've had some of my hardest games here."
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