Napoli midfielder Billy Gilmour has praised Scott McTominay for the way he has developed since leaving Manchester United. The Scottish midfielder departed his boyhood club for the Italian side in 2024.
McTominay has become a key player for Napoli, scoring 27 goals in 82 appearances and helping the club win Serie A in his debut campaign. Gilmour, who followed McTominay to Italy from Chelsea, spoke about his time in Serie A.
Gilmour on Serie A and McTominay's growth
“It’s an exciting League,” Gilmour said. “When you have these big clubs from Italy who approach and say they want to sign you, it’s very hard to say no. I wanted to come here, I wanted to challenge for trophies, and be at such a great club.”
Speaking about McTominay, Gilmour added: “There’s been a few Scots that have played in Italy, Denis Law being one, also a lot of players now would love to come to Serie A. Since he’s been here, Scott’s confidence has grown massively, you can see how much he means to the fans and to us as players, we can rely on him whenever we need a goal and need help. The same goes for Scotland. We’re missing Scott now and hopefully things went well, we can’t wait to have him back.”
McTominay's recovery and Napoli's season
McTominay is currently sidelined for Napoli after undergoing surgery for a heart issue, but he is expected to return after the international break. Napoli director Giovanni Manna said: “It will take 28 days for sporting fitness because he will take anticoagulant drugs. For two weeks, the player will rest and then resume competitive activity without contact.”
McTominay has since returned to training for the Italian side, following an individual programme. Napoli currently sit ninth in Serie A after an inconsistent start to the campaign. They are next in action at home against Frosinone, ahead of a Champions League clash with Villarreal.
New manager and outlook
Napoli underwent a period of change in the summer, with Antonio Conte replaced by former Juventus head coach Max Allegri. On that change, Gilmour said: “It’s a new manager at club and national team, so getting used to new formations and new ways of playing, but overall it’s exciting.”
