Tattoos. Flags. Muffins. Kilts. Many nicknames – and 11 objectives in a Serie A title problem.
Scott McTominay’s impression at Napoli has been enormous since his summer season transfer from Manchester United, resulting in him immediately changing into a followers’ favorite within the football-mad Italian metropolis.
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He has simply been named Serie A participant of the month – the primary Scot to obtain the award – after netting 5 objectives in April.
“He is a raider, not a builder,” says Naples journalist Vincenzo Credendino.
No surprise his former boss at Outdated Trafford, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, “how one can promote Scott is past me”.
However how has the 28-year-old managed to catch the creativeness and adulation of Napoli followers a lot – and change into such a key cog in Antonio Conte’s championship-chasing crew?
How did the transfer come about?
Lancaster-born McTominay had been with United for over 20 years – first attending a soccer faculty on the membership aged 5 – till his summer season departure.
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It was a mutual choice to depart, for a price of £25.7m. McTominay needed a change of surroundings, and the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Guidelines (PSR) meant the deal made sense to United.
He joined Napoli on the identical day as Scotland team-mate Billy Gilmour moved from Brighton for £12m.
However the transfer almost didn’t occur. One other midfielder Marco Brescianini was having a medical at Napoli and appeared set to affix from Frosinone.
However all of a sudden the Italy worldwide accomplished a mortgage transfer to Atalanta, with an obligation to purchase, and Napoli signed McTominay as an alternative.
Studies fluctuate on the way it all unfolded. Some say Brescianini opted for Atalanta, or Napoli pulled out as soon as McTominay grew to become obtainable, whereas others say Frosinone tried to vary the deal.
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No matter occurred, it has labored out properly for Napoli.
‘McTominay is ideal for Conte’ – how he succeeded at Napoli
McTominay has scored 11 objectives in 31 Serie A video games for Napoli – netting one other one within the Coppa Italia.
5 of these 11 league objectives got here in April, sufficient to see him win the participant of the month award.
It additionally makes him the top-scoring midfielder in Serie A this season together with AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic.
By comparability, he solely bagged 19 objectives in 178 Premier League video games for United.
The success comes from taking part in extra of an attacking central midfield function in Conte’s crew. In plenty of his time for United and Scotland, he performed as a defensive midfielder.
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“Conte modified his system to place him in the perfect situations to play,” mentioned Credendino.
“Within the system of Conte he isn’t a builder, he is a raider – the best choice when you have a quantity 9 like Romelu Lukaku, who right this moment performs – and builds – so much for the crew.”
McTominay is one among solely two midfielders, together with Pulisic, to the touch the ball greater than 100 occasions within the opposition penalty space, earlier than this weekend’s video games. He’s additionally close to the highest of duels received in Serie A.
Credendino added: “You’ll be able to examine McTominay with the large midfielders of Conte’s historical past. In his first years at Juventus (2011-12 and 2012-13), Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal scored 9 and 10 objectives respectively.
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“It isn’t a coincidence. McTominay is ideal for Conte as Conte is ideal for McTominay.”
With three video games left, Napoli are three factors above second-placed Inter Milan as they bid for a fourth title of their historical past.
Champions League finalists Inter go to Torino at 17:00 BST on Sunday, with Napoli internet hosting Genoa at 19:45. McTominay will obtain his April award earlier than that recreation.
Why do the followers love him?
Naples is a one-club metropolis, with solely a handful of pockets of actual success of their historical past. They actually idolise their heroes, most notably Diego Maradona.
McTerminator, MacGyver, apribottiglie (the bottle opener) and McFratm are among the different nicknames McTominay has been referred to as by followers this season.
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He says McFratm – which roughly interprets as McBro in Neapolitan slang – is his favorite, and a fan not too long ago received that identify and McTominay’s quantity eight as a tattoo on his leg.
There are McTominay birthday muffins and web memes depicting him as the brand new Pope.
“I noticed the passionate followers, I noticed the coach, I noticed the gamers and I noticed a chance,”
“I took it, I did not look again. It did not take me lengthy to make the choice as a result of I knew that was what I needed and I will by no means have any regrets in my life. As quickly as I put my thoughts to one thing I need to do it, that is it. There isn’t any holding me again.
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“I really like this place, I really like the followers, I really like my team-mates.”
San Ciro’s restaurant in Edinburgh have a Scotland flag up with the phrases ‘Napoli. McTominay. Pizza. In that order’.
That claims so much for a pizza restaurant.
Brothers Ciro and Santo Sartore, who have been born and raised in Scotland to Neapolitan dad and mom, run the restaurant collectively.
About McTominay’s recognition, Ciro mentioned: “In my view, it is due to how properly he has taken to Napoli.
“Napoli followers love when a participant commits to town, and him kissing the Napoli badge exhibits how a lot the love and appreciation means to him. Clearly, scoring plenty of objectives helps too.”
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A shrine emerged to McTominay in San Nicola a Nilo this week.
“Napoli followers couldn’t be happier – he’s the image of the angle of this Napoli, along with his depth and sacrifice in each recreation,” added journalist Credendino.
“That is one thing the followers admire so much, as they favored his kiss on the shirt within the match in opposition to Palermo in September and the actual fact he’s studying Italian and even Neapolitan.”
And one other option to make himself well-liked with Napoli and Italian followers? Praising their tomatoes.
not too long ago: “Oh my goodness, the tomatoes. I by no means ate them at house, they’re simply purple water.
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“Right here, they really style like tomatoes. Now I eat them as a snack. I eat all of the greens, the entire fruits. It’s all so contemporary. It is unimaginable.”