S Poddar
Marcus Rashford took to his Instagram account to post an emotional good-bye to Scott McTominay, who finally left Manchester United on deadline day to join Napoli in a £25.7 million deal. McTominay parted ways at the end of his 22-year affiliation with United, the very club where he and Rashford grew up together.
That is a bond reflected in Rashford’s Instagram post, shared on Friday night, accompanying a nostalgic photo of them as young boys in the gym during their early days at United: “It’s been a long journey… Good luck in Italy my friend.”
Another Scotland midfielder, Scott McTominay took to his Instagram to appreciate his exit from the club as he uploaded a video with some of his highlights during his stay at Manchester United with the caption “Thank you @ManchesterUnited.”
The emotional exchange between Rashford and McTominay reflected just what effect a bond can be created among those players who traveled up from the academy to the first team together. Although their roads have parted ways for the most part, there’s nothing but camaraderie between them, one infers from these overt displays of emotions.
McTominay made his Manchester United debut in 2017 and has played 255 times in all competitions, netting 29 times. He was a decent servant under various managers but had found himself further down the pecking order with Erik ten Hag calling the shots. At that point, he opted to change sides and take advantage of a tempting offer from Italy.
At Napoli, McTominay will be playing under serial Italian tactician Antonio Conte, referred to as a man who gets the best out of the players. Another challenge for McTominay, another platform upon which to grow his career and embed himself further in Serie A, is moving to Napoli.
Meanwhile, Rashford remains at Manchester United, but he too is having a torrid start. Yesterday, his position in the England team was being questioned, and with players of the status of Alan Shearer pointing the finger of blame in his direction for Manchester United’s 2-1 defeat at Brighton, the pressure continues to mount. Erik ten Hag has since come out in defense of Rashford and actually branded Shearer’s comments “silly,” and he praised his player ahead of United’s next game against Liverpool.
As McTominay launches his Italian escapade, Rashford stays behind and continues to struggle both with form and to regain his cherished spot in United’s ranks. He left that all behind now, with their professional destinies surely set to diverge and leave him in the past, but their brief shared period at Manchester United remained a footnote in the friendships football formed.
