Scott McTominay regrets being 'misprofiled' at Man Utd | OneFootball

Almost a year on from his Manchester United exit, Scott McTominay has opened up on the difficulty he had in adjusting to how he was used at the club.

The academy product, who made over 250 appearances for the club and won an FA Cup and EFL Cup during his time at Old Trafford, left for Napoli last summer and has proven a big hit in Italy.

But in reflecting on his time at United in an interview with The Athletic, McTominay believes he suffered somewhat from not being used in a role that suited his strengths - particularly at the outset of his career.

"When I got into the first team, I was quite misprofiled in where I was playing. It wasn’t the fault of any coaches. My strengths have always been getting into the box, scoring goals, being a problem in there," he said.

"But I was being used as a No 6 or a centre-back and that has never really been my game. But when you’re playing for Manchester United and you’re 20, you can’t knock on the manager’s door and say that you expect to be playing at No 8 ahead of Paul Pogba.

"It’s not realistic. You have to know your place, and do what you’re asked to do. In the last few seasons, I began to get into the box a bit more, to score more goals, and then last year was my best one."

However, he holds no grudges against the club and when it was suggested that he suffered from being judged to a different standard due to being a homegrown player, there was no ill will from the Scotland star.

"That's potentially true but it’s Manchester United. You have to be ready. Fans won’t tolerate anyone who isn’t ready," he added.

"You could play 10 or 40 or 50 games and be moved on, just because you’re not ready at that moment, so you have to go and learn and improve. I was fortunate to play a lot and win trophies but of course you always want to win more."

📸 IAN KINGTON - AFP or licensors