McTominay was the hero of Napoli’s Serie A title triumph last season, scoring 12 goals including many decisive strikes in the run-in as they pipped Inter to the Scudetto. He said last July: “It was the best moment of my career. I couldn’t have dreamed of anything better. I did an interview four months ago and told the Neapolitans I wanted to bring them the league title, and through hard work – we did it. 

“The credit for the Scudetto goes to the team, to the coach of course, but above all to the fans, they were the 12th man all season long. They were there in good times and bad. Even when we had tough moments, they helped us.” McTominay has scored two league goals so far this season, including netting in the 3-1 win over Inter last week.

McTominay’s former academy coach Nicky Butt praised him for how he has overcome difficulties in his career and bounced back from being let go by United by becoming one of Napoli’s most important players. “Scott had the disappointment of leaving Man Utd, I felt that was wrong to let him go because he is one of your own, he would run through brick walls for you, a Manchester United fan from a family of Manchester United fans,” Butt told Sky Sportslast month.

“It is the same old thing. You don’t know what you have got until you’ve not got it. He is a god in Napoli now. You go there and his picture is on all the walls. It is great. He has earned all that. He has grafted, worked hard, had knockbacks and fair play to him he is a player now. If he’d stayed, he might have stagnated and never got better.”