By Tommy Lund
(Reuters) – With Napoli once again within touching distance of Serie A glory, a new figure has emerged at the heart of their resurgence as Scott McTominay inches closer to reverential status among fans across the city.
The 28-year-old Scot has been crucial to Napoli’s title hopes and has become a player to rally around since former talisman Khvicha Kvaratskhelia departed for Paris St Germain in January.
The numbers speak for themselves, with the midfielder having 11 goals and six assists this season in the league, netting five alone in April, enough to be named Serie A Player-of-the-Month.
The work ethic and fierce loyalty were among the reasons Napoli manager Antonio Conte paid 30.5 million euros ($34.15 million) in the pre-season for McTominay, who left Manchester United after a 22-year stay. A transfer that former United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had strong feelings about.
“How you can sell Scott is beyond me,” Solskjaer told the BBC in an interview earlier in May.
Conte has seemingly agreed as he allowed McTominay to a more offensive role where he has made a dynamic duo with veteran striker Romelu Lukaku.
“He never had a primary role at Man United, while here we gave him one,” Conte said earlier in May about McTominay.
“He’s worked hard and now he’s a complete player. His improvement has been shared by the whole team.”
NEAPOLITAN LOVE
In a city plastered with banners, pictures, and graffiti of Napoli hero Diego Maradona, murals of McTominay have started popping up across Naples. Passionate Napoli supporters have affectionately dubbed him ‘McFratm’ — a playful fusion of his name and ‘Fratm’, the Neapolitan word for ‘my brother’.
“We love him because he is strong, serious, and really works hard on the field. When the match is over, he’s exhausted from giving it his all,” lifelong Napoli fan and journalist Achille Petti Campione told Reuters.
“Whether we win or lose, no one reflects the mood of the supporters more than McTominay right after the whistle. He plays and reacts with his heart.”
If McTominay can steer Napoli through the final stretch and secure their second Scudetto in three years, the streets of Naples, always alive with energy, may just find another name to immortalize in their illustrious pantheon.
“Blond, tall, and Scottish—with the passion of a Neapolitan. No wonder Naples has fallen in love with him,” Campione added.
($1 = 0.8930 euros)
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk, additional reporting by Alvise Armellini, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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