Scott McTominay says he has no regrets about leaving Manchester United to join Napoli in the summer and is unaware of the negative fan reaction to his exit.

The Scotland international joined the 2022/23 Serie A winners in a deal worth £25.7m in August, bringing a 22-year association with United to an end.

McTominay had been an integral part of the Red Devils’ squad for the previous seven seasons, making over 250 appearances in all competitions after being integrated into the first-team setup by Jose Mourinho.

Though McTominay’s performances at United were occasionally criticised, there was slight bewilderment among supporters that the club – who were looking to freshen things up under then-manager Erik ten Hag – allowed a hard-working player, often called upon to play in the most important matches and a graduate from the club’s academy, to walk away.

But under pressure to balance the books and fund other signings, United sanctioned the sale of McTominay to Napoli – a move that he says he doesn’t regret making in the slightest.

“Obviously it’s a big decision, there’s no denying that,” McTominay said of his departure. “It was a huge decision for me and my family and my friends. At times like that in your life you just have to say, ‘Do I want to do it? Absolutely,’ and go for it. There’s no looking back.

“I’ve never had any regrets in my life or my career and I continue that way to this day. I want my career to be successful and I’m going to go out of my way to try and push myself to be the best football player and best person that I can possibly be.”

One of United’s primary weaknesses had been the ease with which opposition teams were able to slice through their midfield, though McTominay’s energy, tenacity, all-round commitment and penchant for scoring big goals endeared him to many supporters.

Indeed, Casemiro was the player in the crosshairs of many United fans after a decline in his performance levels, not McTominay. The Scot, though, revealed he hasn’t paid attention to the reaction of his exit since he arrived in Italy.

“I don’t read the newspapers or social media,” he said. “That’s something I stay well away from. There’s no reason for me to pay attention to that. The past is the past. I’m enjoying my football and just want to do everything in my powers to push my team higher up the table and do my best for my manager in Italy as well.”

Opening up on his new life under Antonio Conte, he added: “Football is never always going to be sunshine and rainbows, you know. You have to ride the waves and not get too emotional and just keep a stable balance of where we actually want to get to as a group.

“The manager and the coaching staff are firmly the ones who we trust and who we want to push us in the right direction going forward. All the ideas that they’ve given us are brilliant, the stuff that we’re doing in training is really good as well. It’s a marathon before the wins start coming.”

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