One of the biggest changes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made ever since he started his career as Manchester United’s interim manager was giving minutes to younger players. That tendency has become even stronger during the current season.
Names such as Axel Tuanzebe and Mason Greenwood have been gaining more and more minutes as the season progresses. However, one of the young players that has settled as a regular first-team member is Scott McTominay. The Scotland international has been one of the top players for Manchester United this season.
Things haven’t been easy for McTominay at Old Trafford
The Academy graduate, however, needed to take a long road to be where he is right now. McTominay debuted with United during the 2016-17 season, but he waited until the 2018-19 campaign to have a semi-regular role with the club. The central midfielder, who started his career as a striker, gained praise for his contributions against top sides such as Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last term. That showed everyone he was ready to gain a bigger role in the club.
McTominay’s impressive performances have been rewarded. He scored a goal against Arsenal last Monday, and has relegated Nemanja Matic to the bench. The Serbian, who had been one of the best holding midfielders in the Premier League over the past few years, hasn’t been able to feature regularly due to McTominay’s prominence. The Scotsman has started United’s seven Premier League matches to date. And based on recent performances, he is not expected to leave the starting XI any time soon.
Established as a regular for both club and country
The number of appearances he has made has grown with time, too. He played twice in the 2016-17 season, 13 times the year after that, and made 16 appearances last season. All signs point towards his topping his previous career-best for a fourth consecutive campaign.
His impressive performances have also made him a regular for the Scotland national team. That shouldn’t surprise anyone, though. After all, Scotland do not have many regulars at the Premier League level. After making his debut in 2018, McTominay has already earned 11 caps with the NT. He is yet to score, though.
To date, McTominay has made 54 appearances for Manchester United, scoring three times. And it is undeniable that his rise has made him a potential core piece for United in the long-term picture of the club.
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