Paul Pogba Points to Antonio Conte as Catalyst for Scott McTominay's Napoli Rise
Paul Pogba has identified Napoli manager Antonio Conte as the primary factor behind Scott McTominay's remarkable success since leaving Manchester United. Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, the French midfielder highlighted how Conte's management style has unlocked McTominay's potential in Serie A.
Conte's Transformative Impact
Pogba emphasized that Conte's coaching philosophy perfectly matches McTominay's attributes. "Believe me or not, when I saw that Scott would go to Napoli with Antonio Conte, I said, 'watch. Conte will love him because he has everything that Conte loves,'" Pogba revealed. He described McTominay as a disciplined, hard-working player who trains with the same intensity as he plays, making him an ideal fit for Conte's demanding system.
The Scotland international's debut season at Napoli resulted in Serie A's team of the year inclusion and the league's Most Valuable Player award, contributing significantly to Napoli's title victory under Conte. This achievement marked Conte's fifth Serie A title as a manager and tenth overall including his playing career.
Parallels with Pogba's Juventus Experience
Pogba drew direct comparisons between McTominay's current trajectory and his own experience working with Conte at Juventus. During his second season under the Italian manager, Pogba similarly flourished, winning consecutive Serie A titles before Conte's departure. "We play, we're teammates. He's a hard worker. Discipline. He trains always like he plays," Pogba noted about McTominay's approach.
The former Manchester United midfielder also likened McTominay to another Scottish United alumnus, Darren Fletcher, particularly praising both players' goal-scoring abilities. "He was kind of like [Darren] Fletcher," Pogba observed. "And Scott knows how to score goals. Scott, Fletch [they] knew how to score goals too. Scott scores goals, scores a lot of goals. In training, he always scores, you know."
McTominay's Unique Attributes in Italian Football
Pogba explained how McTominay's physical and mental qualities give him an advantage in Serie A. "Scott loves to run. He loves to, he loves that. He has like this character we were talking about. He has this discipline, this thing, this fire inside him. That makes the difference," Pogba stated. He suggested that McTominay's relentless running and strength are particularly effective in Italian football, where such attributes can be less common among opponents.
The French international expressed confidence that Conte's guidance would continue to develop McTominay's game. "And with Conte, he can only improve. Conte could only improve Scott, because Scott will know exactly what he will have to do," Pogba concluded, underscoring the manager's ability to provide clear tactical direction that maximizes player performance.
Pogba's insights come from firsthand experience with both Conte's methods and McTominay's capabilities during their shared time at Manchester United, providing a unique perspective on the Scottish midfielder's impressive adaptation to Italian football.
