This time last year, you’d have got long odds on Scotland’s Scott McTominay being one of the top goalscorers in qualification for Euro 2024.
Having found the net just once in his first 37 appearances for his country, the all-action midfielder scored seven times in Scotland’s eight qualifiers. That put him in the top five of the scoring chart, a goal ahead of Erling Haaland in the same group and bettered only by some pretty prolific names: Romelu Lukaku, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane, who share some 319 international goals between them.
Most importantly, he fired the Tartan Army to next summer’s finals in Germany. The last major tournament Scotland had reached without the need for a play-off was the 1998 World Cup; this time, despite a difficult draw, they did it with two games to spare. And the moment that really got Scotland’s qualifying campaign motoring was McTominay scoring twice in an unforgettable 2-0 win over Spain at Hampden Park in March.
It hasn’t been an overnight success story for the 27-year-old, against the backdrop of a testing time with Manchester United. He has earned every break that’s come his way, whether it’s with his selfless attitude on the pitch or his ruthless professionalism off it. He has been knocked down and kept coming
