Scott McTominay continued his sensational form with another key contribution in Napoli's 3-1 victory over Atalanta. The Scottish international recently scored an extraordinary overhead kick in Scotland's 4-2 triumph over Denmark, highlighting his pivotal role in guiding the nation to their first World Cup since 1998.

The 28-year-old has had a remarkable year at Napoli, clinching the Serie A title last season and even earning a nomination for the prestigious Ballon d'Or. On Saturday, he followed up his international exploits with an assist for Antonio Conte's side, helping the reigning Italian champions momentarily reclaim the top spot in Serie A. He played the full match, with his first shot on goal being a miss from the edge of the box in the 29th minute.

Just nine minutes later, the ex-Manchester United star delivered a sublime through ball for David Neres to net his second of the match. He expertly controlled the ball with his chest before slicing open the defence, marking his second assist of the campaign.

McTominay had a golden opportunity to add his name to the scoresheet in the 46th minute, but his powerful close-range shot was thwarted by the Atalanta goalkeeper. His performance was a masterclass in midfield dynamism, ending the game with an 88 per cent pass completion rate, winning seven out of 14 duels - the highest of any player - and making nine defensive recoveries.

Italian news outlet CalcioNapoli1926 lauded his performance, stating: "It was the match of a complete midfielder: elegance combined with physical dominance."

Meanwhile, Football Italia awarded the Scotsman a commendable 7/10 match rating.

La Repubblica were slightly less generous, but still assigned him a 6.5 rating. Il Mattino also deemed the performance worthy of a 6.5, noting: "The two tended to cancel each other out in the first half of the game in a very intense duel. Then McTominay lit up with a vertical pass to Neres that doubled the lead."

The publication then delivered a succinct three-word verdict on his best position, highlighting how he found space behind the defence as a "pure attacking midfielder".

This evaluation is particularly telling as it mirrors what McTominay himself has previously stated about his optimal position. He was considered surplus to requirements at Old Trafford and departed United in August 2024 for £25.7million.

Erik ten Hag, who was United boss at the time, expressed his desire to retain the Scotland star. Earlier this year, McTominay spoke openly about being 'misprofiled' at his boyhood club, where he made 255 appearances since making his debut under Jose Mourinho in 2017.

Discussing his frequent deployment in an unsuitable position, as part of a midfield duo with Fred, he revealed in an interview with The Athletic: "When I got into the first team, I was quite misprofiled in where I was playing.

"It wasn't the fault of any coaches. My strengths have always been getting into the box, scoring goals, being a problem in there.

"But I was being used as a number six or as a centre-back, and that has never really been my game. But when you're playing for Manchester United and you're 20, you can't knock on the manager's door and say that you expect to be playing at number eight ahead of Paul Pogba. It's not realistic."