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Scott McTominay was already a hero at Napoli after a season plundering targets – however as he collapsed to the bottom in tears of pleasure after serving to them to the Serie A title, he cemented his place as a legend of the membership.

McTominay hooked in a positive acrobatic volley – his twelfth objective of the season – to present Napoli the lead towards Cagliari, earlier than former United team-mate Romelu Lukaku made the sport secure with a second.

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That house win ensured they held off Champions League finalists Inter Milan to assert their fourth Serie A title.

As quickly after the ultimate whistle went, the Scotland midfielder was named Serie A’s Most Invaluable Participant (MVP) for 2024-25.

“I am misplaced for phrases. It is unimaginable you already know, the sacrifice that each single participant within the group has put ahead to the trigger,” mentioned McTominay after the sport.

“And the folks deserve it as a result of they have been behind us from day one, and for me to come back and expertise it is a dream.”

Leaving Manchester United – the membership the place he had spent practically all his life – for a brand new nation final summer time was a courageous transfer. It now seems an impressed determination.

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There have been tattoos, flags, desserts and even a shrine of McTominay. Followers carrying kilts too. Naples is a metropolis that treats their heroes like gods – most notably Diego Maradona.

BBC Sport seems at how McTominay put his title in Napoli folkore.

The one who obtained away for Man Utd

Final summer time McTominay wished a change of surroundings – and United wished cash to assist them slot in with Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Guidelines (PSR).

Lancaster-born McTominay had been with United for over 20 years – first attending a soccer faculty on the membership aged 5 – however made the choice to have a change of surroundings.

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A price of £25.7m seems like an absolute discount now.

No marvel his former boss at Outdated Trafford, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, “how one can promote Scott is past me”.

And as he celebrates the title with Napoli, United are going through their worst season because the mid-Seventies and a second season with out Europe since 1985.

“He seems like he’s loving life,” mentioned ex-Scotland midfielder Don Hutchison on TNT Sports activities.

“Plenty of backroom workers at Manchester United will be proud how they turned him into this.

“The participant has been there for 4 or 5 years, however it’ll Napoli and having the arrogance of the supervisor that has taken him up tenfold.”

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And but the Napoli transfer practically didn’t occur. They have been set to signal Frosinone midfielder Marco Brescianini and he was even having a medical.

However that transfer did not occur – and immediately McTominay was at Napoli as an alternative and Brescianini went to Atalanta.

A sliding-doors second for Napoli and McTominay.

How Conte obtained the perfect out of ‘raider’ McTominay

A portray of Scott McTominay in a central Napoli shrine emerged this month [EPA]

McTominay has scored 12 targets in 34 Serie A video games for Napoli – netting one other one within the Coppa Italia.

He was the Serie A participant of the month for April and is shortlisted once more for Could. Now he’s the MVP, successfully the participant of the season.

McTominay is the top-scoring midfielder in Serie A this season. By comparability, he solely bagged 19 targets in 178 Premier League video games for United.

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The success comes from taking part in extra of an attacking central midfield function in Conte’s crew. In a whole lot of his time for United, he performed as a defensive midfielder. For Scotland he really began as a defender in a again three.

“Conte modified his system to place him in the perfect situations to play,” mentioned Naples journalist Vincenzo Credendino.

“Within the system of Conte he is not a builder, he is a raider – the best choice when you have a quantity 9 like Romelu Lukaku, who right now performs – and builds – lots for the crew.”

McTominay ranks close to the highest for midfielders to the touch the ball within the opposition penalty space, and for duels gained in Serie A.

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He additionally took on a management function on Friday, pulling team-mate Amir Rrahmani away from a possible argument within the first half.

Credendino added: “You possibly can evaluate 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 targets respectively.

“It isn’t a coincidence. McTominay is ideal for Conte as Conte is ideal for McTominay.”

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 Maradona – who was a part of their first two title wins – and whom their stadium is now named after.

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McTominay won’t ever attain these ranges – no one may – however he’s nonetheless adored as a lot as any mere mortal will be.

McFratm – which roughly interprets as McBro in Neapolitan slang – is his favorite nickname. However he has additionally been referred to as McTerminator, MacGyver and apribottiglie (the bottle opener). Eight of his 12 targets have include the rating at 0-0.

“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 wished and I am going to 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 is not 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 lots 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: “For my part, it is due to how properly he has taken to Napoli.

“Napoli followers love when a participant commits to the town, and him kissing the Napoli badge exhibits how a lot the love and appreciation means to him. Clearly, scoring a whole lot of targets helps too.”

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A shrine emerged to McTominay in San Nicola a Nilo this month.

“Napoli followers couldn’t be happier – he’s the image of the angle of this Napoli, along with his depth and sacrifice in each sport,” added journalist Credendino.

“That is one thing the followers admire lots, as they preferred his kiss on the shirt within the match towards Palermo in September and the very 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.

lately: “Oh my goodness, the tomatoes. I by no means ate them at house, they’re simply crimson 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, all the fruits. It’s all so contemporary. It is unimaginable.”

A superb season for Scots in Italy

Earlier than this season no Scot had ever gained the Serie A title.

Now there are two – as a result of final summer time McTominay was not the one Scotland midfielder they signed. His buddy Billy Gilmour additionally got here in, from Brighton, and has additionally performed a key function of their success.

And they don’t seem to be the one gamers from Scotland to elevate a significant trophy in Italy this season. Bologna, who beat AC Milan within the Coppa Italia closing, are captained by Lewis Ferguson. Graeme Souness had been the one earlier Scottish winner of the Italian Cup.