Scott McTominay has become a 'liability' for Napoli in one area off the pitch despite his superb form on it, one of his team-mates has light-heartedly revealed.
McTominay joined Napoli from Manchester United in the summer for a reported fee of £25.7 million.
The sale was met by a mixed response from United fans, with then manager Erik ten Hag said to have been keen to keep the Scotsman at Old Trafford.
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The 28-year-old has shone under the management of Antonio Conte in Italy, quickly becoming one of Napoli's key players and even being compared to Diego Maradona in terms of his impact.
He has scored six goals in Serie A this season and provided a further two assists, with Napoli just three points behind leaders Inter Milan after 30 games.
The Naples club won the Scudetto in 2023 but finished 10th in a nightmare season last term, with McTominay playing a critical role in their return to being title contenders.
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Conte focused on the English market towards the end of the summer window to help him in his aims, with McTominay's former Manchester United team-mate Romelu Lukaku joining on a permanent deal from Chelsea.
And the Italian also signed McTominay's international team-mate Billy Gilmour, who signed from Brighton and Hove Albion.
The 23-year-old has been in and out of the team at times this season but has started each of Napoli's last four matches in Serie A, providing an assist for Lukaku in Sunday's 2-1 home win over AC Milan.
And speaking to The Athletic, Gilmour revealed just how special it is to play alongside McTominay for Napoli - while admitting that he can be what The Athletic describe as 'a bit of liability' in one area off the pitch.
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"If you go out with Scott, it's crazy," he said, with the Scotsman then referring to what is described as his 'distinctly northern European colouring' and his height, stating that he 'sticks out'.
But it was another international team-mate that he consulted before making the move to Napoli.
"I'm pretty close with Lewis [Ferguson, Bologna captain]. I followed him when he was at Bologna.
"Whenever I saw him with the national team, I'd ask him about Italy. I just wanted to hear it from a second source, really."
Topics: Scott Mctominay, Napoli, Manchester United
Ryan Smart