How Jose Mourinho helped Scott McTominay into Scotland fold during time at Man Utd - 2025

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Scott McTominay is a leading light for Scotland and ex-Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho ultimately proved crucial in helping the midfielder pick the Scots ahead of England

Scott McTominay has come a long way since he made his Manchester United debut under Jose Mourinho. And it was ‘The Special One’ who helped put McTominay on the path to becoming a Scotland hero during his time at Old Trafford.

McTominay – whose latest act of heroism in a Scotland shirt inspired them to qualify for their first World Cup since 1998 – may no longer be a United player, but he has flourished at Napoli and was even named the best player in Serie A last season after moving overseas. It was evident during his Premier League days, though, that McTominay had bags of talent.

Mourinho could see that and even felt, from a national team perspective, that England were taking far too long to give him an international call-up. And when Gareth Southgate didn’t immediately act, Mourinho instead made sure that Scotland knew the door was open for them.

McTominay qualified to play for them by virtue of his Helensburgh-born father and Alex McLeish was the Scotland manager at the time. When he sniffed an opportunity he didn’t waste any time in heading south of the border to deliver his pitch – even if the weather almost cost him.

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He told the Telegraph: “Looking back now I suppose all of us Scots should say a little thank you to Jose Mourinho. Jose had given an interview in which he let it be known that England were in danger of missing out on Scott and that I should be getting in touch with him at the first opportunity!

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“So I arranged to go down to United’s training ground to see him and Scott. There was only one problem – the ‘Beast from the East’ was raging at the time and I almost didn’t make it!

“I didn’t arrive into York until 3am and, at that point, I was seriously thinking about turning back, the weather was that bad. I eventually got to my hotel in Manchester Piccadilly, but I was so late they’d put me down as a no-show! So it’s gone 4am and I’m fearing I’ll be roomless. Luckily they found me one!”

Mourinho appeared a man determined to give Scotland every chance to press their case to McTominay with the midfielder more than paying back that faith. He scored the opening goal on Tuesday night – one of 14 in his international career – and can now prepare for a World Cup campaign for the first time.

McLeish added: “I rang Jose later that morning. ‘Come here for 12, let’s have lunch and a chat about Scott and then we’ll get him in the room’. He couldn’t have been more accommodating. I’d sensed Scott was keen, but I thought he’d still take a lot of persuading. He came in and was pretty clear in his own mind that he wanted to represent Scotland. I think he appreciated me going to see him, but it’s definitely fair to say it was one of the more worthwhile trips I’ve taken.”