Scott McTominay’s Italian adventure has ended in glory, as the former Manchester United midfielder capped a transformative debut season with a Serie A title and the league’s Player of the Season honour following Napoli’s 2-0 victory over Cagliari.
The 28-year-old opened the scoring on final day in Naples, sealing a dramatic one-point title win over Inter Milan and collapsing to the turf in tears at full-time. “It’s just a dream,” McTominay told reporters. “The sacrifice of every single player in this group is just incredible.”
His goal, a well-timed leap and finish in the 42nd minute, marked his 12th of the season, a tally that would have seemed unthinkable during his final days at Old Trafford. But in Naples, he’s found not just form, but family. Locals have nicknamed him “McFratm,” blending his surname with “Fratm,” Neapolitan slang for “my brother.”
“I can feel a lot of love,” McTominay said, smiling as he tried out his new Italian phrases. His transition from Premier League role player to Serie A talisman has been one of the stories of the season.
Antonio Conte, who made McTominay a priority signing last summer alongside Romelu Lukaku, saw his belief richly rewarded. “He’s worked hard and now he’s a complete player,” Conte said. The manager himself was named Serie A Coach of the Year.
Lukaku added Napoli’s second on the night, his 14th goal to go with a league-leading 10 assists, underscoring Conte’s eye for revival projects. Both signings have been central to Napoli’s resurgence after last season’s 10th-place collapse.
While McTominay took MVP honours, Serie A’s other awards recognised Roma’s Mile Svilar (goalkeeper), Inter’s Alessandro Bastoni (defender), AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders (midfielder), Atalanta’s Mateo Retegui (striker), and Como’s Nico Paz as the top under-23 talent.
