Scott McTominay has revealed a mistake he feels Manchester United coaches made in the early years of his senior career at Old Trafford.
Scott McTominay came through Manchester United’s Academy and made his first-team debut under José Mourinho in 2017. Known for his physicality, work ethic, and discipline, he quickly earned the trust of several managers and became a reliable squad member.
Though not always a guaranteed starter, McTominay has delivered in big moments—scoring key goals, including famous late winners against Aston Villa and Brentford, a brace against Leeds, and a long-range strike against Manchester City. His passion for the club and big-game mentality made him a fan favourite.
Often used in various midfield roles, and sometimes even in defence, he’s valued for his versatility, stamina, and leadership. He’s also become a regular for Scotland, shining on the international stage with some standout performances and goals.
In 2024, McTominay then departed Manchester to sign for Serie A side Napoli for around £25 million. He is now thriving in a more attacking role under former Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte.
United coach’s big McTominay mistake
The case of McTominay’s best position at United was always a curious one, with the Academy graduate playing deeper during his first three or four seasons.
Speaking to The Athletic, McTominay has now explained that he feels he was misprofiled by Jose Mourinho when he broke into the first-team, which led to him playing in a deeper role for a significant period of time.
“When I got into the first team, I was quite misprofiled in where I was playing,” he said. “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 No 6, 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 No. 8 ahead of Paul Pogba. It’s not realistic.
“You have to know your place and do what you’re asked to do. 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.”
Misprofiling mistake cost McTominay valuable seasons
The final season at United, which is the one McTominay is referring to, is one where he scored ten goals and collected three assists
In the Academy, the Scottish international played as a striker and attacking midfielder, which made his profiling as a defensive player all the more bizarre.
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He played in that position under both Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjær before Erik ten Hag finally started using him as more of an attacking threat. The misprofiling of his abilities early in his career cost him valuable seasons as a more impactful player at Old Trafford.
Certain sections of fans constantly hounded McTominay for his lack of defensive abilities, and considering that he felt that he would have been more useful further up the pitch, it’s hard not to feel that the player had been wasted by playing deeper instead of as an attacker.
The misprofiling seemingly cost him valuable early years in his career, but at 28, the Scottish star is now finally thriving in an environment that allows him to be a goal-scoring threat and push for the league title, with Napoli sat just three points behind Inter Milan at the top of the Serie A.
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