McTominay a revelation in Italy – Rashford should take leaf out of his book

Scott McTominay took a gamble when he decided to leave Manchester United for Napoli.

Not because he was turning his back on United. The days of players seeing their careers nosedive post-United are long gone. Heck, even Brazilian flop Antony is starting to resemble a half decent footballer now he's gone to Real Betis.

The risk McTominay did take in swapping Manchester for Naples was leaving his comfort zone for a demanding and unfamiliar place. The Scot might still be learning the Italian language, but if he didn't succeed he wouldn't need an interpreter to tell him what those unforgiving supporters of the Serie A club thought about him.

This is a fanbase that once had the privilege of watching the great Diego Maradona grace the famous blue shirt. Those Napoli Ultras who cram into Curva A of the stadium named after Maradona can be some of the most brutal and cruel in world football. But as it happens, McTominay has been a revelation.

Napoli's iconic ground is not going to be renamed the 'Stadio Scott McTominay' anytime soon. But some of the fanbase have at least granted him greater status than the famous Neapolitan pizza.

That's quite an achievement for someone who arrived less than six months ago - because he couldn't get enough games for one of the worst United teams on record.

In this time McTominay has scored seven goals in 23 appearances, to help Napoli climb to the top of Serie A. He has been on the losing side just three times, and is loving life on the Amalfi coast, where Napoli boss Antonio Conte is giving him impromptu Italian lessons during training.

Having been to this part of the world numerous times, I can confirm it's not a difficult place to like. But it would have been, had the Scotland midfielder not embraced the challenge and produced the goods on the pitch. Something the 28-year-old deserves huge credit for.

And something McTominay's former team-mate Marcus Rashford could have learned from, while he spent almost the whole of last month deciding his next destination after Manchester.

In the end Rashford chose Birmingham and Aston Villa, which is less than 90 miles from Manchester, and convenient in terms of Rashford still being close to those people he chooses to surround himself with.

Rashford will need time to regain his match sharpness following so long being idle (pardon the pun). And who knows, once he does he could prove to be a successful signing for Villa between now and the end of the season.

But wouldn't it have been nice to see Rashford take a leaf out of McTominay's book, and embark on a different adventure much further from home? While McTominay has immersed himself in a different culture and way of life, Rashford has immersed himself in long drives up and down the M6.

McTomianay and his partner have moved into a house by the coastal lake of Lago Patria, and are a short car or boat ride from such wonderful places as Capri, Positano and Amalfi itself.

"When I found out that Napoli was interested in me I felt the fire inside me," said McTominay. "I saw an opportunity and I took it. I didn't look back. I knew that was what I wanted, and I'll never have any regrets in life."

And, right there, is the sort of attitude that deserves success.