Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has claimed that Scott McTominay’s time at the club was “tarnished” by a fellow player.
Keane, 53, captained Manchester United and won 17 trophies - including seven Premier League titles, four FA Cups, one UEFA Champions League, and one Intercontinental Cup – during his 12-year stay at the club.
These days he is often seen on TV and provides live coverage of games for Sky Sports and ITV – and contributes to The Overlap.
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Last week, he gave his thoughts on the former United and now Napoli midfielder McTominay, who has found form at the Serie A leaders since his summer move from the Red Devils.
Keane claimed that a former United star “tarnished” McTominay’s time at the club.
"What didn’t help Scott was it was him and Fred together,” Keane explained. "It just wasn’t a good combo. I know Ole praises both of them, which is beyond me – I always thought there was something in Scott. He had more than Fred going on, but as a partnership, it didn’t work; it wasn’t happening, United weren’t competing in midfield.
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"It tarnished him a little bit, 'McFred' wasn’t it. He’s added to his game, to be fair to him. He’s always had a goal in him, but he’s got that up to another level. If he wasn’t scoring the goals at Napoli, we wouldn’t be talking about him. But you can’t keep talking about players who leave a big club and say we should have kept them.
"You can’t keep everyone. I think McTominay could have been in the group, 100%. But playing every week? I’m talking about the players you need to get Man United back to the top. They haven’t brought in better, which is the problem for the club. United’s recruitment has been that poor that you still talk about former players."
Fred, 32, is currently at Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce, while McTominay is quickly becoming an icon in Naples, having produced 11 goals and four assists in 32 league appearances this term.
Scott McTominay on Napoli move
Speaking to BBC Sport Scotland, McTominay revealed how he "loves" the city, club and his teammates.
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"I saw the passionate fans, I saw the coach, I saw the players and I saw an opportunity," said McTominay.
"I took it. I didn't look back. It didn't take me long to make the decision because I knew that was what I wanted and I'll never have any regrets in my life. As soon as I put my mind to something I want to do it, that's it. There's no holding me back."
"I love this place," McTominay added. "I love the fans, I love my team-mates. It has been a pleasure to be with Billy every day rather than just seeing him at Scotland and we have helped each other a lot."
Topics: Roy Keane, Scott Mctominay, Manchester United, Premier League, Football, Napoli, Fred
Luke Davies