Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho believes Scott McTominay has been heavily underrated by fans, lauding him with praise following the 2-0 win over Huddersfield in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
The midfielder featured from the start of the match, much to the delight of supporters as he played in a satisfactory manner.
McTominay got promoted to the first team this season having impressed with the club’s academy and Mourinho has certainly grown to love him.
Expected to play a backup role, the youngster has found himself playing more and more often as the season goes by with things heating up.
It’s no surprise considering how much his Portuguese manager rates him, calling on Scotland’s manager to pick Scott for the first team as well.
According to Metro, Jose said to MUTV: “Honestly I think Scott deserves more than what he’s getting. I think maybe because he’s this kind of kid profile: a normal haircut, no tattoos, no big cars, no big watches.
“A humble kid, who arrived at the club when he was nine or ten. Last season was almost leaving the club to go somewhere, who knows where, who knows in which division he’d be playing now.
“He now played already seven or eight 90 minutes, it’s not to play five or 10 minutes. Seven or eight 90 minutes, in every competition – Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup.
“I think the kid deserves a little bit more, and because it looks like England is missing him. If I was Alex McLeish, the first thing I would do would be [phone gesture] ‘come to me’.”
Despite the academy product not featuring consistently for United, some fans have criticised him for being too safe and not doing anything risky.
As a young player who has just been promoted to the first team, it makes sense that Scott McTominay has been solid if unspectacular so far.
The jury is still very much still out for him but he should know more than anyone that such players never survive at Old Trafford for too long.
It will reach the stage where McTominay will have to excel in order to succeed with the Red Devils and not just become a rotational option or even find himself leaving.
Supporters are definitely behind the local homegrown player but only time will tell if he can truly become a legend for the club.