Billy Gilmour paid the ultimate compliment by Napoli fans as team stay top

SERIE A statistics certainly make good reading for Napoli fans.

Especially when it comes to summer Scottish signings Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay.

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The duo have proven popular additions to the squad and helped keep Antonio Conte‘s side top of Italy‘s league standings with a 1-0 win over Lecce.

And it was McTominay’s header that laid on the winner for Gio Di Lorenzo on 73 minutes at Stadio Diego Maradona.

However his fellow Scotland star Billy Gilmour was paid the ultimate compliment by Italian fans – and had the stats to merit it too.

The former Rangers kid posted an 88 percent pass success rate – not bad for a player called ‘too timid’ by his manager a week ago on his first start.

He also registered four ‘key passes’ in the victory and marshalled the midfield with four possession recoveries and six out of ten tackles won.

And those numbers prompted a lofty comparison for the former Chelsea, Norwich and Brighton midfielder.

One fan said: “What a player Billy Gilmour, we found Lobotka’s regen.”

Another added: “These matches are not trivial and are not a walk in the park at all, as we saw in the final minutes… But we have a great McTominay and Gilmour is gaining confidence! Well done!”

In a similar theme a third wrote: “Anguissa Gilmour McTominay. – Pogba Pirlo Vidal,” after the star-studded Juventus midfield.

But one went a step further – and compared him to a genuine Italian football legend.

They wrote: “Gilmour in this first half” and posted a picture of Andreas Pirlo.

The retired star, now a boss and most recently in charge of Sampdoria, was capped 116 times, and won the World Cup and Champions League twice.

However he never turned out for Napoli but was beloved by the Azzurri.

Another player winning the hearts of the Naples is Gilmour’s Scottish team-mate Scott McTominay.

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He’s scored twice in ten games and laid on just as many since his £30million move from Manchester United.

And he’s been credited with the assist in this weekend’s big win too.

He met a corner kick to test Wladimiro Falcone with a header but the keeper couldn’t hold it and Di Lorenzo bundled in the winner.

It put a smile on demanding Antonio Conte’s face and McTominay says his boss is hard to please.

He said: “The coach is very demanding, he wants to work with all the players on tactics and how we want to dominate the game.

“It’s important for us to take those messages on board, work and work and try to progress as much as possible.”

The duo are expected to be in Steve Clarke‘s next Scotland squad for matches in Poland and against Croatia at Hampden next month.

Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page