Scott McTominay lands top award as he opens up on Scotland penalty duties and 'unjustified' Steve Clarke critics

He made his international debut in March seven years ago. He scored a famous double in a win over Spain in March 2023 and on Sunday night against Greece he will hit the milestone of 60 caps.

Scott McTominay certainly comes into bloom in Spring although he has proved he is a man for all seasons. He has just been named the William Hill Scottish Football Writers’ Association International Player of the Year for the second successive year.

The Napoli midfielder is proving central to the ambitions of Steve Clarke’s team as they seek to retain their place in the Nation League top tier in the second leg of a play-off against Greece at Hampden.

Scott McTominay with the international men's player of year trophy, as voted by the Scottish Football Writers' Association. | PA

Although the voting deadline for his latest award had already passed, McTominay underlined his credentials by scoring the penalty that sees Scotland hold a slim advantage after Thursday's first leg. He was even able to shrug off attempts to put him off before slotting home, including having a laser shone at his face by someone in the crowd. “I wasn’t aware of it, to be honest,’” he said. “I didn’t realise it. I had realised it during the game because it was being flashed around. But for the penalty, I didn’t. I didn’t know about it, even though it didn’t look like that on television. You have to be focused on not let anything get in the way.”

Laser-focused, you might say. He might be required to show his nerve against Greece again on Sunday – either during the game or in a potential shootout. McTominay is happy continuing to shoulder the responsibility despite teammates such as John McGinn and striker Che Adams expressing keenness.

Indeed, McGinn initially grabbed the ball in Piraeus after the referee pointed to the spot following a foul on McTominay. But the Napoli midfielder got up, dusted himself down and proceeded to send goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis the wrong way for his 12th international goal and 11th in his last 22 appearances.

Scott McTominay celebrates his winning penalty vs Greece in Thursday's night Nations League playoff win in Piraeus. Cr: AP. | AP

He revealed that set-piece coach Jose Rodriguez Calvo has called the shots on that front. “Jose said I was on penalties so you have to be confident,” he said. “Get up there and take them when that is your responsibility. I take a lot of penalties in training, over and over again as repetition so it’s nothing new to me. I am quite calm in situations like that anyway. It doesn’t tend to play on my mind and make me think too much. It’s about putting the ball in the back of the net and knowing how the goalkeeper likes to move. It is something I enjoy doing.”

McTominay is also currently loving life in Italy, where Napoli are vying to win the Serie A title. They are lying in second place, three points behind Inter Milan. He is single-handedly destroying the old adage, although it seems less true now, that the only way is down after leaving Manchester United. Having been connected to the Old Trafford club since the age of five, he is understandably deeply respectful when asked about the seeming upward trend in his career after swapping Manchester United for Napoli. “They’re both incredible football clubs and I’m incredibly grateful for the journey I’ve had,” he said.

As for Scotland, while it might not be going up, maintaining their League A spot in the Nations League is the next objective. It would help endorse the feeling that manager Steve Clarke has successfully ridden out the post-Euro 2024 storm. He was the subject of severe criticism after Scotland finished bottom of their group in Germany.

Scott McTominay during a Scotland training session on the eve of the Nations League play-off second leg against Greece at Hampden. | SNS Group / SFA

“I don’t really read or pay much attention to the criticism,” said McTominay. “But from the general feeling from friends, family members, other players then sometimes it (seems) a bit unjustified given how well and what Steve Clarke has done for this whole group of players.

“He has basically transformed us into believing we can go and play against Spain, Germany and teams like that. If there is one game where it doesn’t come off then he still has belief in us the next time. For a player, that is crucial. He is such a great manager and as a person as well. He helps you progress as a player.”

McTominay is only 28 but he feels like an elder statesman of the Scotland team. He is certainly proving a big brother to Billy Gimour, who has joined him at Napoli. The pair are rarely apart now, including when on international duty. “Whenever he has come into the team in Naples and obviously when he has played so much here, he's been a breath of fresh air,” he said. “He is a great kid with so much ability, you don’t even notice at times how good a player he is.”