Scott McTominay shocks Antonio Conte, leads Napoli to Scudetto triumph

The Scotland international, who left Manchester United in August 2024, emerged as a standout performer, earning the Serie A MVP award.

McTominay recorded 12 goals and four assists in the league, matching Hernanes (2010-11) for the most goal involvements by a midfielder in their debut Serie A campaign over the past two decades, according to Opta.

His 12 goals, scored from an expected goals (xG) tally of 7.4, led all midfielders, and he opened the scoring in eight matches—more than any other player.

Conte, reflecting on the signing, admitted his skepticism. "I knew Scott well from his time at Manchester United, where he often made an impact but rarely started," Conte told Sky Sports.

"When Giovanni Manna mentioned him, I didn't believe he'd join us, especially without European competitions to offer. Honestly, I thought it was a long shot."

Napoli's title charge was bolstered by another ex-Premier League star, Romelu Lukaku, who reunited with Conte after signing from Chelsea. Lukaku netted 14 goals, his best return in Europe's top five leagues since his 24-goal Scudetto-winning season with Inter in 2020-21.

"Romelu turned down big offers to work with me again," Conte said. "He's a good boy, always giving everything, though I still use the carrot and stick with him."

Recent X posts from Napoli's official account celebrated McTominay's MVP award, with a highlight reel captioned: "Scott's magic in Serie A!  #ForzaNapoli."

Meanwhile, McTominay posted on his personal account, saying: "Honoured to win MVP and help Napoli lift the title. This club is special.  #SerieA"

Napoli's triumph marked their first Scudetto since 2022-23, with McTominay and Lukaku proving pivotal in their dominant campaign.