Family, academy and the McTominay journey
It’s hard not to warm hugely to Scotland’s footballers as people as well as players. Scott McTominay just scored one of the best goals at Hampden Park since Zinedine Zidane in 2002, an overhead kick of grace, timing, power and remarkable hang-time, and immediately put celebrations on hold. McTominay ran towards the crowd, searching someone particularly special to share the moment with. “Where’s my mum?” McTominay mouthed. He saw her, saluted her with a kiss, and then took the chest-bumps and congratulations of his jubilant, grateful team-mates.
In one of the most intense, important moments of his life, McTominay thought of his mother. Jose Mourinho tells the story of McTominay making it into Manchester United’s first team under his charge, and that being testament to his determination ever since being dropped off for academy training by his mother as a kid.
McTominay’s journey from short, skinny kid in United’s academy, 5ft 7in at 17, struggling to get game time initially against bigger, stronger lads to 6ft 4in colossus of the game, best player in Italy, sealing the Scudetto for Napoli with a scissors-kick, Ballon d’Or top 20 and now heading to the World Cup is a story of individual determination and collective support from family and coaches. It’s a reminder of how players take different journeys and amounts of time to the top. Patience is key.