Scott McTominay has finally broken his silence on the bombshell warning he received from a Scotland teammate ahead of his return to the national team, revealing the shocking consequences he was told would follow if he played under new Scotland manager Sébastien Pocognoli.
The Napoli midfielder, who recently returned from injury, sat down for an explosive interview in which he lifted the lid on the dramatic intervention from one of his international teammates.
McTominay revealed that the warning came from a fellow Scotland international who had been part of the squad during Pocognoli’s early reign and had witnessed the Belgian coach’s ruthless approach firsthand.
“One of the boys pulled me aside before I came back into the squad and said, ‘Scott, don’t do it. Don’t go and play under Pocognoli. He’s not like the other managers. He doesn’t care about reputation. He doesn’t care about what you’ve done before. He only cares about what you do in training, in meetings, in matches. If you don’t buy into his methods, he’ll cast you aside without a second thought.'”
“And I looked at him and said, ‘Well, I’m going to prove you wrong.’ And that’s exactly what I intend to do.”
The Scotland star went on to reveal the specific consequences he was warned about, painting a vivid picture of the doom-laden predictions that were made about his future under Pocognoli.
“He said the manager would drop me if I didn’t adapt immediately. He said the training would be brutal. He said the tactics would be rigid and unforgiving. He said I’d be isolated if I couldn’t handle it. He painted a picture of complete misery. And I listened to every word. And then I reported for duty anyway.”
Then McTominay named the teammate directly. It was Souttar, the Rangers defender who had been one of the high-profile casualties of Pocognoli’s ruthless squad overhaul, dropped shortly after the Belgian took charge and told he no longer featured in the manager’s plans.
“Souttar was the one who warned me,” McTominay confirmed. “He’d been through it. He’d seen what Pocognoli is like. He’d been cast aside. And he didn’t want the same to happen to me. He said, ‘Look at what happened to me. I was a mainstay for years. And he dropped me without a second thought. He doesn’t care about reputation. He doesn’t care about what you’ve done before. He only cares about what you do now.'”
McTominay has not yet played under Pocognoli, but he is set to feature in Scotland’s upcoming match. The Napoli midfielder has been impressed by what he has seen so far, praising the new manager’s approach and the fresh faces he has introduced.
“The manager has been brilliant with me since I arrived,” McTominay said. “He demands a lot. He pushes you to your limits. But that’s what I needed. I needed someone to believe in me and to challenge me. And he’s done that from day one. Yes, the training is intense. Yes, the tactics are demanding. But that’s why we’re going to win. That’s why we’re going to compete. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
He continued: “The manager made some big decisions when he came in. He dropped some big players. He brought in some new faces. And people questioned him. But he’s been proven right so far. The team is playing well. The spirit is good. And everyone knows their role. That’s what a good manager does.”
The Napoli midfielder was also asked about the wider perception of Scottish players abroad and whether he felt he had something to prove.
“People back home think Scottish players can’t succeed abroad,” McTominay said. “They think we’re too limited, too British, too attached to the Premier League. But that’s nonsense. Scottish players have succeeded all over Europe for years. We’ve got the talent. We’ve got the mentality. We’ve just got to believe in ourselves and take the chance when it comes.”
He continued: “I took the chance. I came to Naples. I embraced the culture. I learned the language. I threw myself into it. And it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. I’m playing the best football of my career. I’m happy. I’m settled. And I’m winning. What more could you want?”
McTominay was also asked whether he had a message for other Scottish players considering a move abroad.
“Don’t listen to the doubters,” McTominay said. “Don’t listen to the people who tell you it’s too hard, it’s too different, it’s too risky. Listen to yourself. Believe in yourself. And take the chance. Because you never know what might happen. You might just prove everyone wrong.”