Man Utd star names the fan chant that gives him 'goosebumps' as he takes international form to Old Trafford

The Man Utd star has been discussing his Scotland national team progress.

Scott McTominay is thriving for Scotland

He was coming in with a frown - but Scott McTominay has turned that notion upside down to ignite a Scotland hot streak.

The Man Utd midfielder is one of the experienced figures in Steve Clarke's dressing room and he thrives off the Red Devils pressure at club level. It was a year ago on March 25th that he netted in the 87th minute of a 3-0 Euro 2024 qualifying victory over Cyprus.

A year on, tournament qualification booked and six goals later, 'McSauce' is an international hero. At that time, there was an unhappy demeanour following him with his last Premier League start coming for Man Utd in a 3-2 defeat against Arsenal on January 22nd, but he's glad to have put it behind him.

He said: “That was the camp where the manager and I sat down and he said that I didn’t look happy, that I didn’t look like I was smiling about the place. I thought ‘Maybe he’s right.’

“I went and spoke to my mum, my dad, my girlfriend at the time and they all pretty much said the same thing. Sometimes, you just need to enjoy football and play with a smile on your face and take it easy. Not everything’s the end of the world if you’re not playing so well and you’re not in the team, whatever.

“Ever since that, to be fair, I’ve just thought ‘Let’s go for it’. It was a weight lifted off my shoulders. It just shows you that by speaking to someone – especially the manager because he’s honest and he’ll tell you up front – it can make a significant difference.

“He just said he wanted to see the kid who was happy whenever he first came on the scene and was playing every week. He saw a boy who was smiling all the time.

“Now I look back and think, yeah, maybe sometimes the pressure and stuff like that can mount and you don’t realise it can affect you. Sometimes it does a little bit and you just need to take a step back and say ‘Listen, let’s just play football, how it was as a kid and enjoy it."

Tartan Army followers chant of a man turning England down and who loves them, with that feeling very mutual. It's something that leaves McTominay awestruck, as he said: "It gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.

"That’s what makes you want to go out on the pitch and do it for the fans who come every single game, home and away. It’s a credit to them because football fans would be nothing without the fans."

Man Utd prominence has also arisen this season under Erik ten Hag. When asked how much of a boost his Scotland form is there, he responded: "Every time that you play well and you win it’s a boost.

"Regardless of whether you score, an assist or a clean sheet. If you win and the team plays well then it gives everybody a boost. That’s what we want for Scotland, playing against really good teams.

"We are playing some of the top international teams in the world and I feel like we have more than held our own. We have just been really unfortunate a couple of times. But there will be a couple of games coming up when people will realise that we can bang three or four in and suddenly it’s a different story."

With Euro 2024 on the horizon, some might say that defeats like the 4-0 kind Netherlands inflicted upon Scotland in Friday would be a good reminder of what is to come in the tournament opener against Germany. McTominay is not in the mood for such hard luck tales and glorious failures with opportunity awaiting.

McTominay added: "‘I never look at myself as a hero or anything like that. I just want to do my absolute best for Scotland and for my grandparents, my mum and my dad and everyone. When I look back on my career and really reflect it will make me very proud.

"But at the minute I just want to keep doing what I’m doing and not get too carried away with all the other things. People say ‘you’re a hero.’ No I’m not, I’m just a normal boy who is living his dream by playing football.

“I’ve always had a lot of responsibility so I know how it feels playing for Man United you can’t ever get away from that. You know the responsibility and you know the crowd you play in front of. It’s something I really relish and I actually really enjoy it.

"You can never put too much pressure on yourself and think I have to do this, this and this. Just go out on the pitch and do your best and make hopefully make things happen and then everyone is happy.

"There’s a big chance. Big chance. There is the potential to be one of the most successful Scottish teams in history and that should be at the front of every player’s mind.

"We can’t just settle for ‘oh I want another night in five years’ time to be spoken about in ten years’. I don’t just want that one. Because that means you have pretty much ran your race in terms of your favourite night for Scotland. No, I want more of them. I doesn’t bother me too much looking back on goals it’s always about the next one and the next one.”

McTominay spoke as he was named as the William Hill Scottish Football Writers’ Association Men's International Player of the Year.