Former Manchester United player Scott McTominay recently sat down for an interview with Camel Live, where he addressed the narrative that "players get better after leaving Man Utd".
On Whether He Felt Upset About the End of His Manchester United Career Given His Affinity for the Club
Given your love for the club, as you said, this is your club—the one you’ve supported since childhood. I assume your family supports the team too, right?
Are you upset about how that chapter came to an end? I mean, many prominent former players feel that United shouldn’t have let you go because you’re a local lad who loves the team.
You understand the club’s culture and have put in a lot of hard work for it. Do you feel the same way? Are you sad about it?
No, not at all. It was a mutual decision. I wanted to join Napoli at that time, and obviously the club was facing difficulties. Was it PSR issues? That’s the one, right?
Yes, financial problems.
Yeah, I think they were really struggling with that side of things, and it was an issue we faced together. I hold no ill will towards anyone at Manchester United. I love them very much.
Now, whenever I watch United’s games, I still feel a connection with everyone there. I still think Bruno is playing really well, and even though Harry and Tom Heaton are no longer at the club, I still hope he does great. Yeah, it’s a weird feeling watching the games, but it’s normal.
On the Impact of Mourinho Giving Him His First-Team Chance at United
Talking about your time at United, you mentioned José Mourinho earlier as one of the managers you played under. It was him who gave you the chance to join the first team and play senior football.
Yeah.
How did it affect your life to have a manager like that trust you and want to promote you to the first team?
He’s a man with a huge personality. I saw him after our game the other night (the Champions League match where Benfica beat Napoli 2-0) and had a chat with him. Yeah, I really miss him.
Every time I meet him, his passion and the way he talks to me make it feel like we haven’t seen each other in ages. So I’m truly grateful to him. Before the game, my dad told me I had to go say hello to him.
On Giving Mourinho His Jersey as a Token of Gratitude
You gave him your jersey, didn’t you?
Yeah, I gave him my jersey after the game. But my dad told me I had to go greet him, put on a good show, and make sure I expressed my gratitude to him because he kicked off my career when I was 21. Even though I matured late and didn’t really come into my own until I was 18 or 19.
So honestly, he didn’t really take notice of me until I was 20 or 21. I’m so thankful that he gave me that opportunity. I’ll never forget him.
On His View That Manchester United’s Problems Are More Institutional Than Related to Players
You’re not the only former United player who has shone brightly after moving to another club. I think, as an outsider looking in, you can’t help but look at United and think, well, this seems to be more of a club issue than a player issue, because you’ve seen this happen time and time again.
