Conte: McTominay needed to ‘get out of his comfort zone’ after leaving Man United | OneFootball

Napoli head coach Antonio Conte has opened up on the impact that Scott McTominay has had in Serie A after leaving Manchester United, explaining that it was ‘good to get out of his comfort zone’ with his move away from the Premier League.

McTominay will be returning to Manchester with his Napoli teammates on Thursday evening when they get their Champions League campaign underway at the home of Pep Guardiola’s Man City.

It kicks off at 20.00 BST. You can follow all the action as it unfolds on the Football Italia Liveblog.

Conte: McTominay ‘born to be a footballer’

SASSUOLO, ITALY – AUGUST 23: Antonio Conte, Head Coach of Napoli, looks on prior to the Serie A match between US Sassuolo Calcio and SSC Napoli at Mapei Stadium Citta del Tricolore on August 23, 2025 in Sassuolo, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Ahead of kick-off, Conte sat down with TNT Sports and gave an insight into the impact that McTominay has had on the squad since his arrival from Manchester United last season.

“I knew him, I knew his potential when he played with Manchester United. He was born as a footballer for us,” Conte said.

“I think that at one moment in your life, maybe you need to have a different challenge, and I think that for him, it was good to go out of his comfort zone and to prove that he’s a fantastic player.

“Last season he was incredible. He played a fantastic season, but also this season he’s started very well. We’re talking about a guy, a really good player, but also a top man, and I’m really happy about him.”

McTominay helped Napoli on their way to their second Serie A title in three years in his first season with the Partenopei in 2024-25.

NAPLES, ITALY – MAY 23: Scott McTominay of Napoli celebrates victory following the Serie A match between Napoli and Cagliari at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on May 23, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

His performances, which included 12 goals and six assists from 34 appearances in the league, earned him the Serie A MVP award at the first time of asking.

Now, he is set to take part in his first Champions League test with Napoli away against Manchester City on Thursday night, which will be his first appearance in the competition since 2023, when Manchester United were knocked out at the end of the group stage.