McTominay keen to be 'at heart of things' for Scotland

Scotland star Scott McTominay aims to deliver more success after reaching Euro 2020 – and he plans on being a central figure in the team.

The Manchester United midfielder has been a key man for Steve Clarke as Scotland reached their first major finals since 1998, and will be in the national team manager’s plans for the upcoming challenges against Czech Republic, England and Croatia.

McTominay says the team can’t now sit back after ending the exile, and should be pushing to deliver more.

“It’s been too long,” he said. “It’s been a long journey to get to this point.

“We want to go on and do really well. We’ve said it before that we’re not just here to make the numbers up and be happy with where we’ve got to. We want more and we need more.

“I think every team coming here has that self-belief and arrogance that they can do well. It’s about doing it on the pitch.

“It’s no good talking about it to the media and friends and family saying ‘We’re going to do this and that’, it’s doing it on the pitch that’s important. To be fair, the lads have been so nailed down putting in good performances in training and in games to do that.”

Under Clarke, McTominay’s versatility has been a huge asset for the team, with the player slotting into the back three when needed or taking on his club role in midfield. The 24-year-old said he hadn’t discussed where he would be playing with the manager but that he would be looking to make a mark wherever he played.

“You want to be at the heart of every team that you play in, whether that’s for Manchester United or for Scotland,” he said. “The goal for me remains the same, it’s to give the best account of yourself every time you go into a stadium.

“For people in the stadium, it might be the first time they see you play or it might be the last time so you want to give a good account of yourself.”

McTominay also revealed how pleased he was when fellow English Premier League player Che Adams committed to playing for Scotland in March. The Southampton striker has since become an important part of Clarke’s plans and impressed in the four games he has played so far.

“Che’s such a good guy,” he said. “He’s come in and fitted in so well with how he approaches training and games.

“He’s a winner and you can see he has high standards for himself. He’s been top drawer for Southampton this season.

“Having him changes the dynamic of the team quite a lot, in my opinion. I feel like he gives us that something different that we needed. When he decided to play for Scotland it was music to my ears.”