When picking Manchester United’s most legendary player of all time, it’s fair to say Red Devils supporters are a little spoilt for choice.
From Sir Bobby Charlton to George Best, from Wayne Rooney to Eric Cantona, Ryan Giggs to Bryan Robson, there’s certainly no shortage of candidates.
But, when ranking the finest footballers ever to wear the sky blue shirt of Napoli, the decision becomes a whole lot easier.
No one will ever match the extraordinary legacy of one Diego Armando Maradona, standing head and shoulders above all those who came before and those who arrived after.
But Marek Hamsik comes a lot closer than most.
A former captain of the Partenopei, their all-time appearance maker at 520, and briefly their top all-time goalscorer until Dries Mertens overtook him back in 2020, Hamsik sits at the right hand of Maradona in the pantheon of Neopolitan greats.
So, as Hamsik welcomes Scott McTominay to the Stadio Diego Maradona with open arms, the former Manchester United midfielder must feel as if he has arrived at the gates of heaven greeted by God himself.
Legend welcomes Scott McTominay after Manchester United exit
The eight-time Slovakia Player of the Year also believes that McTominay – dubbed an ‘excellent’ signing – could be his successor in sky blue.
McTominay might fall a little short of Hamsik when it comes to raw, natural talent.
But, with 17 for club and country since the start of last season, McTominay could potentially be the greatest goalscoring threat from midfield Napoli have had since Hamsik’s heyday.
“McTominay could be my heir,” the mohawked magician tells Corriere dello Sport. “He’s an attacking midfielder who, like me, loves to get involved and score goals.
“Let’s see (how he does). It depends on the formation. But he’s a strong name. He proved that with United and with the national team.”
In an ideal world, Erik ten Hag would have preferred to retain McTominay’s rather unique, box-crashing skillset. The Carrington graduate bailed out his boss on numerous occasions last term, after all.
But with McTominay’s contract due to expire in 2025 and United offered the opportunity to solve their Profit and Sustainability issues by selling a homegrown player for £25 million worth of ‘pure profit’, Napoli’s offer was the Red Devils simply could not turn down.
“He was so important for our team. He was at Manchester United for over 22 years. But unfortunately, it’s the rules,” Ten Hag said at a press conference.
“You have to discuss the rules to do sales, and obviously homegrown players, academy players, bring more value. It’s not the right thing to do but, for everyone, for all parties, it’s a good deal.
“For Scott, he is happy with it. Of course, for Napoli. (They are getting) a very good player. But also for us (it’s a good deal too).”
Napoli tipped to challenge for the Scudetto again
McTominay could make his Napoli debut this weekend away at Cagliari.
Now under the stewardship of former Chelsea, Italy and Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte, Napoli are hoping to bounce back from a title defence so disastrous it almost makes David Moyes’ doomed stint in the United dugout look successful.
Napoli went from first to tenth in the space of just 12 months, with the arrivals of McTominay and his one-time United team-mate Romelu Lukaku tipped to make a considerable difference on the pitch.
“Can Napoli compete with Inter? Absolutely yes,” experienced Serie A chief Pietro Lo Monaco says on Radio Marte.
“The blue club has put together a team worthy of Conte, significantly increasing their physical profile and signing McTominay, another beast who no one has seen yet.
“He is a natural midfielder. But, in the (Scottish) national team, he also played as a central defender and in Manchester even as an attacker, as well as a midfielder. He can score goals, he stretches the team, and provides phyiscality in the middle.
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