McTominay moment leaves Italian media in awe as he’s hailed as new Napoli leader

SCOTT McTOMINAY has made a huge impact in his short time at Napoli so far.

And the Scotland hero has been lapping up the praise since heading for Serie A.

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McTominay, 27, left Manchester United to join Napoli in a bumper £25million deal at the end of the transfer window.

The Hampden favourite gained instant hero status in Naples and was mobbed by enthusiastic fans upon his arrival.

He made his debut as a substitute in a 4-0 win over Cagliari earlier this month and impressed.

Last weekend, he made his first start as Napoli earned an excellent point in a 0-0 draw at Juventus.

Italian media and punters a like raved about McTominay’s performances.

He was compared to ‘prime Maradona‘ by some after a powerful, unstoppable driving run from midfield, a trademark move that has been thrilling Scotland fans for several years.

A report also hailed McTominay for making Juve’s star-studded midfield ‘look like children’ during the game.

As well as making an impression on fans, it also seems like McTominay is making a solid impression on his teammates too.

One Naples outlet has spotted the ‘unnoticed lip-reading’ that proves the midfield ace is already assuming plenty of leadership responsibilities just TWO games into his career at the club.

Napoli Calcio Live have hailed McTominay for already having ‘immersed himself’ at the club and showcasing it with plenty of desire.

And they’ve pointed to an unseen moment during the game that proves he’s already a leader in the team.

They’ve pointed to a moment where Napoli were under plenty of pressure in the first-half.

And they point to a moment where McTominay took control, shouting at his teammates before bellowing “let’s go” at the fans and trying to get them on side.

Napoli Calcio said: “There is a lip-reading from the leader of Scotland that makes it clear how much character he has.

“He showed great determination that can be emblematically summarised in an image from the first half of the match between Juve and Napoli.”

The midfielder has also opened up on his decision to leave United for Naples.

He’s revealed he felt a ‘fire inside’ as soon as he learned of Napoli’s interest and he’s now targeting a Serie A title win.

McTominay said: “The pride of playing here is really special and when I heard that Napoli was interested in me I felt the fire inside me.

“I wanted to come here and push as much as possible because the fans are crazy, I would say they are some of the best fans I have ever seen. Incredible.

“I can never talk enough about the fans, the people, the city and the welcome that my teammates and coaches gave me.

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“When a coach of Conte’s calibre wants to bring you into his team, he fills you with confidence and the desire to show him that you are capable of giving him a lot.

“The conversations we have had between us have all been very positive. He is very demanding , which is very, very positive for a player of my age.

“Now I am 27, I am not a kid but I am not old either. So I want to be pushed to the max and I want to play to the best of my ability to show that I care a lot and that I want to do really well.

“Yes, Italian football is different and I really enjoyed it. Obviously there are a lot of tactical aspects that you have to understand and study…. But for me football is football.

“If you apply yourself and train properly and you are fit enough to come in and you are willing to learn, then you can adapt quite quickly to the way the coach wants to play and the type of game the league is playing.

“So for me it is about focusing and doing my best, learning as much as I can in a short period of time to be up to speed and doing my best with a smile on my face, hoping to make the fans happy.”

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