Scott McTominay holds a key feature in his game that makes him ‘so valuable’ to Serie A football – and that is why he has made a major impact since joining Napoli.
That’s the view of Italian legend Gianfranco Zola, who is still in disbelief that Manchester United came to the decision to move on the Scotland international this summer. He has already established himself as a big favourite amongst the passionate supporter base in Naples and has also netted three times for his new club. McTominay – who joined Gli Azzurri alongside international team-mate Billy Gilmour – already had an advantage BEFORE arriving in Italy and that comes down to his physicality.
Zola reckons this is a massive thing for the players who move from England and in the case of McTominay it is even bigger because he is a box-to-box midfielder. This makes him very valuable and it is exactly why the Chelsea legend is not surprised at the brilliant start he made – and reckons he can improve even more under Antonio Conte.
Speaking to the Scottish Sun, he said: “I’m not surprised how well McTominay has started, just surprised that United decided to sell him. Players who come from the Premier League have an advantage when they arrive to play in Serie A.
“They make a physical impact. For players coming from England, that is massive. You see the pace of the game and their quality, it prepares the players. Those guys coming from the Premier League have an edge. And in the case of McTominay, the edge is even bigger because he goes box-to-box.
“When he gets into the box, he is very effective, and those types of players are so valuable in Italy. I’m not surprised to see him doing so well at Napoli. Like with [Billy] Gilmour, Antonio can help McTominay get even better.
McTominay and Gilmour – both on Scotland duty for the Nations League double header with Croatia and Poland – have settled in nicely in Naples and the fans are ‘very satisfied’ with what the duo are bringing to the table.
Zola added: “The Napoli fans have been very satisfied with them so far as they have been doing well. Naples is a particular place. When things go well, like they are going at the moment, the city pushes the players on.
“The atmosphere and participation of the crowd is fantastic. It can work both ways. Luckily, at the moment it is going well, and the crowd is a positive factor for the team and for the players. They are pushing the team forward a lot just now.”