Scott McTominay has revealed that a surprise phone call from Sir Alex Ferguson helped inspire his famous overhead kick that sent Scotland to the World Cup.
The Scotland star admitted he was left stunned when an unknown number appeared on his phone last September, leading to a conversation he still holds close.
McTominay said he spoke to Ferguson in September, describing it as amazing and adding that he was extremely grateful the legendary manager took time to check in on him.
Speaking to GQ after being named in their All-Star list, McTominay noted it was particularly special given he was only a young kid when Ferguson was leaving the game.
The call arrived completely out of the blue, with McTominay laughing as he explained it showed up as No Caller ID before he answered with a simple “Hello?”
He said Ferguson’s opening words were “How are you doing, son?” which immediately told him who was on the other end of the line.
McTominay described the conversation as “probably more normal than what people would think,” likening it to a friend calling to ask how things were going.
The Napoli midfielder has refused to share exactly what Ferguson told him, but hinted the former United boss delivered words that have stayed with him ever since.
He said: “He’s so iconic that every single word, you just bottle up, and you always try to remember it for future games.”
McTominay added pointedly that three months after the call, Scotland qualified for the World Cup, suggesting the conversation “must have inspired something.”
His wondergoal helped Scotland defeat Denmark 4-2, sending Steve Clarke’s men to their first World Cup in 28 years and elevating McTominay to legendary status in his home country.
The overhead kick was later immortalised in a mural near Hampden Park, commissioned by Adidas, which McTominay admitted felt “a little bit surreal” to see for the first time.
He said: “My big head up on the side of a building is something that’s a little bit surreal to me. I don’t really know how to put it into words, it’s that special.”
McTominay joined Manchester United as a five-year-old and remains one of the last academy graduates shaped during Ferguson’s era, winning an FA Cup and League Cup during his time at Old Trafford.
Despite reaching recent European Championships, Scotland failed to progress beyond the group stage, leaving McTominay determined to use the World Cup to create history.
He said: “We wanted to qualify and get out of the groups, and we didn’t quite manage to do that, so this is another opportunity for us to create a bit of history.”
McTominay was just two years old when Scotland last appeared at a World Cup, but said he always dreamed as a kid of one day playing in the tournament.
Above all else, he is determined to enjoy every moment, warning himself against looking back at 40 or 50 and feeling he was too anxious to savour the experience.
He said: “The career is short. You have to enjoy it. If you don’t, it can flash by so quickly and leave you wondering where the time went.”
His thoughts, ultimately, turned to the children of Scotland, whom he described as the biggest winners from the nation’s historic qualification.
He said: “It’s great for the kids to experience something like this, and we’re just extremely grateful that we could bring that happiness to Scotland.”
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