Ex-Man Utd youth coach backs Scott McTominay to become 'tremendous' | OneFootball

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·28 June 2022

Ex-Man Utd youth coach backs Scott McTominay to become 'tremendous'

Article image:Ex-Man Utd youth coach backs Scott McTominay to become 'tremendous'

Scott McTominay has the ability and mentality to become a 'tremendous' player for Manchester United, according to his former youth coach Neil Ryan.

Ryan recently left United after 19 years as a coach at various youth levels to take on a developmental role with the FA.


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He oversaw the development of many of United's current homegrown players, and in an interview with The Athletic, he was particularly generous in his appraisal of McTominay.

"Scott can be a tremendous player for the club," Ryan said. "He has taken a hell of a lot on his shoulders, borne the brunt of a lot of criticism, but put him in a successful playing group he’ll hopefully flourish.

"His mentality is second to none. His character is the X Factor for him. He had a lot of injuries as a young boy. He hardly played in the youth team because of injuries. I remember him telling me about leaving training at 17, getting picked up by his dad, crying in car on the way back home. ‘I’m never gonna be a footballer because of my injuries’. He fought through that.

"There have been times when he’s been outstanding, times when it’s been tough for him - that is the pressure of a Man United player. That’s his challenge. I’m sure he’s up for that."

Ryan is also of the belief that Marcus Rashford will come back stronger after a difficult 2021/22 campaign, adding: "He is one of the best talents in the country, I believe that."

The forward endured his worst campaign for United since breaking into the first team, scoring just five goals in 32 games.

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