Scott McTominay claims he was 'misprofiled' at Man United ahead of his fruitful move to Napoli... and explains why managers failed to play him in his natural position

Former Manchester United prima Scott McTominay has claimed helium was 'misprofiled' astatine Old Trafford, having discovered the champion signifier of his vocation since his summertime determination to Napoli.

McTominay, who made his debut for Manchester United successful 2017 aft rising the club's younker ranks, called an extremity to his seven-year spell astatine Old Trafford past summertime by joining Napoli for £26million.

The Scotsman has been superb since teaming up with Antonio Conte astatine the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, chalking up 10 extremity contributions from midfield successful his 26 Serie A appearances truthful far.

McTominay could adjacent extremity his debut play successful Italy with his hands connected the Serie A title, fixed Napoli are conscionable 3 points down league leaders Inter Milan with 9 games to go.

In an interrogation with The Athletic this week, McTominay — who made implicit 250 appearances during his clip astatine Manchester United — insisted helium could person been amended utilized by his managers, accusing them of 'misprofiling' him.

Rather than being deployed successful the box-to-box relation that has brought him occurrence astatine Napoli, the Scottish prima was predominantly utilized arsenic a antiaircraft midfielder, oregon No 6, during his clip astatine Manchester United, occasionally adjacent being asked to capable successful astatine centre-back.

'When I got into the archetypal team, I was rather misprofiled successful wherever I was playing,' McTominay said.

'It wasn’t the responsibility of immoderate coaches. My strengths person ever been getting into the box, scoring goals, being a occupation successful there. But I was being utilized arsenic a No 6, oregon arsenic a centre-back, and that has ne'er truly been my game.'

After breaking done the ranks nether Jose Mourinho, the 6ft 4in midfielder was coached by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick and Erik 10 Hag, leaving the nine soon earlier Ruben Amorim's arrival. 

Ahead of his determination to Napoli, McTominay enjoyed a superb scoring streak for Scotland connected the planetary stage, showcasing what helium could bash erstwhile consistently utilised further forward.

In total, helium boasts 11 goals successful 58 appearances for his country — and has scored 7 successful 28 games for Napoli this term.

Explaining wherefore helium was 'misprofiled' by his Manchester United managers, McTominay added: 'When you’re playing for Manchester United and you’re 20, you can’t sound connected the manager’s doorway and accidental that you expect to beryllium playing astatine No 8 up of Paul Pogba. It’s not realistic. You person to cognize your place, and bash what you’re asked to do.

'In the past fewer seasons, I began to get into the container a spot more, to people much goals, and past past twelvemonth was my champion one.

'They would ever motion idiosyncratic who wouldn’t needfully beryllium what radical expected them to be. 

'My mentality was that I was ever there, acceptable to go, acceptable to instrumentality my opportunity. I ever wanted to beryllium my worth, to amusement I could play each game. It’s not the benignant of happening that affects me. You tin lone beryllium successful power of what you do.'

McTominay's adjacent crippled successful Serie A comes against high-flying Bologna connected Monday, earlier clashes with Empoli, Monza, Torino and Lecce.

Meanwhile, Serie A rubric rivals Inter Milan look Parma astatine the play earlier a important Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich adjacent Tuesday.

Should Conte's broadside prevail successful the Serie A race, it would people McTominay's archetypal home rubric of his career, having won the FA Cup and Carabao Cup during his clip astatine Old Trafford.