Gary Neville explains how McTominay went from United reject to Ballon d’Or contender with Napoli

Former Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay has turned his career around since leaving Old Trafford in the summer of 2024 to join Napoli. The Scottish midfielder rose through the ranks at the Theatre of Dreams and was a first-team regular under former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. However, the departure of the Norwegian and the subsequent arrival of Erik ten Hag proved to be a major turning point in McTominay’s career. He struggled to nail down a permanent place in the starting XI during two seasons under the Dutchman, prompting the Red Devils to cash in on their academy graduate to facilitate a move for Manuel Ugarte. The move came as a boon for the Scotsman, who won the league in his debut campaign with the Italian club, was adjudged Serie A Footballer of the Year, and was shortlisted for the Balon d’Or last year. The 29 year old was equally decisive this season, helping his team finish second in the league and win the Supercoppa Italiana. Scott McTominay Stats: 25/26 Season CompetitionAppearancesStartsGoalsAssistsYellow CardsRed CardsMinutes Played Serie A33311031-2,793′ UEFA Champions League8841–699′ Supercoppa Italiana22–1-180′ Italy Cup10—-29′ Total44411442-3,701′ Source: Transfermarkt. United legends Gary Neville and Roy Keane recently discussed where things went wrong for McTominay at Old Trafford. Fred behind McTominay’s United struggles? Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Neville suggested that McTominay’s partnership with Fred may have been the root cause of his struggles at Old Trafford. He said: “What do you think about Scott McTominay?” “I mean, seriously, like, when he’s rebuilt, you know, he was at United, at times, to be fair, in a period where United players were probably getting mocked a little bit, it was like, you know, was it that? He was alongside, what was it, McFred?” Keane was quick to respond, stating: “Fred dragged them down, I have to say.” Neville went on to point out McTominay has enjoyed a spectacular resurgence from being mocked at Old Trafford to becoming a Serie A star. He added: “It was McFred, wasn’t it, at the time, and that was the sort of thing, McFred. But that’s what they called it at the time; it was like they were being mocked, and Scott McTominay is going over to play at Napoli [now].” “He’s got 14 in Serie A this year for Napoli. That is some going, Roy, by the way.” The McFred partnership The ‘McFred’ partnership was formed under the watch of Solskjaer, who opted to partner McTominay with Fred in the middle of the park for major games. Indeed, the two played together 126 times for the Red Devils, registering 75 wins and 26 defeats while also contributing three goals together. The partnership was broken up in the summer of 2023, when Fred was offloaded to Fenerbahce. The Brazilian currently plies his trade in Turkey. Final Thoughts INEOS’ decision to replace McTominay with Ugarte turned out to be a controversial one, especially given the Uruguayan’s disappointing performances. While United are in the market for a replacement for the outgoing Casemiro this summer, the Scottish midfielder’s return to Old Trafford appears highly unlikely. Feature image Francesco Pecoraro via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.