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Former Manchester United coach Charlie Jackson has claimed that a lack of belief from the head coach affected Scott McTominay at Old Trafford. While acknowledging that José Mourinho trusted McTominay during his time at United, Jackson asserted that the midfielder is thriving under Antonio Conte thanks to the trust from his new manager.
In a discussion with The Sun, which focused on the Scottish midfielder, Jackson said (via Mirror):
"If you believe in him, he’ll run over coals for you. Conte’s done that. Mourinho did that as well. The best is yet to come for him. I don’t think you’ve seen anything yet. I used to say to his dad Frank, He’ll never be looked at as world class and it’s a shame but he should be because he is."
He added:
"The best is yet to come for him. He had success with Man United but to go and do what he’s now done . . . and there is much, much more to come. That’s the biggest thing that I can say about him — it’s just the tip of the iceberg, honestly. There were no video phones in those days but I wish we could have filmed him as you’d have seen a special player. I’ve got his first shirt, his first training shirt and his first football — that we’ve got in a glass case — because you knew. You just knew.
As a midfielder who rose through the youth system, McTominay was a player for Manchester United for 22 years. However, United struggled to get the best out of him, which could be attributed to a lack of trust, according to his first coach at Old Trafford.
In August 2024, Manchester United sold the Scottish international to Napoli for a reported €30.50 million. This decision was viewed as poor by a cross-section of supporters and some pundits.
Meanwhile, in his first season in Italy with Napoli, McTominay was named Player of the Year (2024-25). Over 255 games for Manchester United, McTominay recorded 29 goals and eight assists.
How has Scott McTominay performed since leaving Manchester United?
Napoli v Cagliari - Serie A - Source: Getty" srcset="https://staticgf.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/1caa9-17488443596516-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https://staticgf.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/1caa9-17488443596516-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https://staticgf.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/1caa9-17488443596516-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https://staticgf.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/1caa9-17488443596516-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https://staticgf.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/1caa9-17488443596516-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https://staticgf.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/1caa9-17488443596516-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https://staticgf.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/1caa9-17488443596516-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https://staticgf.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/1caa9-17488443596516-1920.jpg 1920w">
Napoli v Cagliari - Serie A - Source: Getty
Since leaving his boyhood club in August 2024, McTominay has been a standout performer for Napoli. In his first season in Naples, the Scottish midfielder played a pivotal role in Antonio Conte's title-winning squad.
McTominay made 39 appearances for Napoli across all competitions, scoring 13 goals and providing six assists. His exceptional performance is something he struggled to replicate while at Old Trafford.
As a result, his market value experienced a significant increase, currently valued at €40 million according to Transfermarkt. He remains a vital midfield asset for Napoli as they prepare to return to the Champions League next term.
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Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a 'Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.
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Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe's top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.
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Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer