Manchester United legends Gary Neville and Roy Keane both had their say on Scott McTominay’s playing career at Napoli after his Old Trafford exit in 2024.
Scott McTominay rose through the ranks of the Manchester United youth academy before the 29-year-old Scottish talent broke into the Red Devils’ first-team squad.
The former United midfielder had been a mainstay under several different ex-Red Devils managers in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era of the Premier League club.
However, McTominay’s playing spell at Old Trafford came to an end in 2024 after Man Utd sanctioned his £25.7m transfer move to Serie A outfit Napoli.
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Gary Neville and Roy Keane both agreed the ‘McFred’ dynamic at Man Utd hurt Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay
Scott McTominay has now spent two seasons at Napoli and has been a key player for Antonio Conte, who has since stepped down from the Serie A club.
The Scotland international lifted the Serie A title in his debut campaign in Italy and McTominay even made France Football’s 30-man Ballon d’Or shortlist in 2025.
Speaking on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast, Gary Neville admitted that McTominay’s dynamic with ex-Man Utd star Fred held him back at Old Trafford.
“What do you think about Scott McTominay?” Neville asked.
“I mean, seriously, like, when he’s rebuilt, you know, he was at United, at times, to be fair, in a period where United players were probably getting mocked a little bit, it was like, you know, was it that?
“He was alongside, what was it, McFred?”
Responding to Neville’s point about the ‘McFred’ partnership, Roy Keane added: “Fred dragged them down, I have to say.”
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Gary Neville defends former Man Utd midfielder Scott McTominay after the Scotland star’s success at Napoli
United legend Neville insisted that Scott McTominay and Fred’s midfield partnership made the Napoli star an easy target before proving his critics wrong at Napoli.
“It was McFred, wasn’t it, at the time, and that was the sort of thing, McFred,” he said.
“But that’s what they called it at the time; it was like they were being mocked, and Scott McTominay is going over to play at Napoli [now].”
Neville added: “He’s got 14 in Serie A this year for Napoli. That is some going, Roy, by the way.”
Napoli fell short of their Serie A title defence to Inter Milan in the 2025-26 campaign under Antonio Conte, despite another strong showing in form from McTominay.
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