Scott McTominay has had the season of his career at Napoli in 2024/25. He arrived in Italy last summer for around £25m, leaving Manchester United without too many fans that sad to see him go.
Indeed, the Scottish midfielder was much maligned during his time in England, with many suggesting that he wasn't good enough for the Red Devils – despite Sir Alex Ferguson being a fan of the player. McTominay has since proven his doubters wrong.
During his debut season in Italy, he has fired Napoli to only their fourth-ever Serie A title. He's been no bit-part player either, scoring 12 league goals – including a brilliant overhead kick to seal the Scudetto – and earning the division's MVP award.
The question now is, why was he so overlooked in the Premier League? Well, Man United legend Roy Keane has provided his theory on the situation, claiming one former teammate 'tarnished' Scott McTominay's career at Old Trafford.
Roy Keane Blamed 'McFred' For McTominay's Struggles
"It just wasn’t a good combo"
Speaking on Stick to Football in May 2025, the pundit claimed that McTominay's association with midfielder partner Fred was damaging to his reputation. He explained:
"What didn’t help Scott was that it was him and Fred together. It just wasn’t a good combo. I know Ole praises both of them, which is beyond me – I always thought there was something in Scott. He had more than Fred going on, but as a partnership, it didn’t work; it wasn’t happening, United weren’t competing in midfield.
"It tarnished him a little bit, 'McFred' wasn’t it. He’s added to his game, to be fair to him. He’s always had a goal in him, but he’s got that up to another level. If he wasn’t scoring the goals at Napoli, we wouldn’t be talking about him. But you can’t keep talking about players who leave a big club and say we should have kept them.
"You can’t keep everyone. I think McTominay could have been in the group, 100%. But playing every week? I’m talking about the players you need to get Man United back to the top. They haven’t brought in better, which is the problem for the club. United’s recruitment has been that poor that you still talk about former players."
McTominay last season at Man Utd stats compared with Napoli
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Keane Wasn't Shy of Criticising Duo in Past
Claimed Fred and McTominay 'not good enough' for Man Utd
For those who followed the Premier League in this period, they will likely remember the derogatory 'McFred' nickname given to Man Utd's midfielder pairing. As recently as 2022, Keane himself even tore into the pair.
Speaking after a 2-1 defeat to Brighton – which was Erik ten Hag's first competitive game as manager – Keane insisted that the duo just weren't 'good enough' for the Red Devils. He noted:
"The decision-making and the football intelligence, in particular from Fred - and I've said this for a long time - Fred and McTominay are not good enough. They won't get Manchester United back competing at the top. We see it week in, week out. [They are] not up to it."
It now seems as though the issue was perhaps Man United, and not the fault of the two midfielders. After all, McTominay has proven himself to be a brilliant player in Naples, while even Fred has impressed in Turkey with Fenerbahce, bagging eight goals and 16 assists since his move in 2023.
Proving just how much things have changed for the Scot, in Naples he now goes by the name "McFratm" among supporters, a playful fusion of his name and "Fratm," the Neapolitan word for "my brother." This is a far cry from his former, more negative moniker, 'McFred'.
Correct as of SofaScore - as of 24/05/25