Scott McTominay reveals Man Utd's big mistake and what Erik ten Hag finally changed

Scott McTominay has insisted he was 'misprofiled' at Manchester United, with a succession of managers making key errors. McTominay broke into the United first-team under Jose Mourinho back in 2017, going on to play under Ole Gunner Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag before leaving Old Trafford for Napoli last summer in a deal worth £26million.

He has been a revelation in Naples, scoring seven goals and notching four assists. The midfielder has played a key role in their Serie A title challenge, with Antonio Conte's side well in the race. Conte has unlocked McTominay's talents by deploying him in a box-to-box role. United's managers meanwhile tended to use the Scot as a defensive midfielder, something McTominay believes was an error, with Ten Hag the first to spot his potential.

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

"But I was being used as a No 6, or as a centre-back, and that has never really been my game. 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.

"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. My mentality was that I was always there, ready to go, ready to take my opportunity. I always wanted to prove my worth, to show I could play every game."

Ten Hag repeatedly expressed his frustration with the decision to sell McTominay. The Scottish international had emerged as a key player for the Dutch boss before he was sold to Napoli.

While McTominay has gone on to help Napoli in a title challenge, United have endured an awful season, with Ten Hag being sacked at the end of October. Before being fired, the Dutchman made it clear he did not agree with the decision to sell McTominay.

“I am a little mixed. I am very happy for him but I would prefer not to lose him because he was so important for our team," Ten Hag said at the end of the summer window.

“He was at Manchester United for over 22 years. But unfortunately, it’s the rules. You have to discuss the rules to do sales. Obviously, homegrown players, academy players, bring more value.

“It’s not the right thing to do, but for everyone, for all parts, it’s a good deal. For Scott, he is happy with it. Of course, for Napoli, a very good player, but also for us.”

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