Scott McTominay's legendary overhead kick for Scotland against Denmark is immortalised on a massive mural in Glasgow—a tribute so grand it adorns the side of an entire building. But the bashful midfielder doesn't like talking about it. He finds it "difficult," and besides, he insists he has scored something even better since.
"It was better. It was higher," the 29-year-old tells BBC Sport Scotland, speaking alongside teammate Billy Gilmour in Naples. "I hate to say it, but I beat it and it was in training. I'm devastated. As soon as it happened I was thinking, 'I should have saved it for a game.'"
This follow-up wonder goal came in Saudi Arabia during Napoli's pre-season camp, weeks after McTominay's iconic strike helped Scotland seal qualification for the 2026 World Cup with a 4-2 win over Denmark at Hampden Park. That goal—a 2.53-metre leap executed with almost superhuman coordination—propelled Scotland to their first men's World Cup in 28 years. Team-mate Gilmour was injured at the time and watching from the stands that night, but he has since become one of McTominay's biggest advocates.
"He doesn't give himself enough credit for what he's done, for sure," says Gilmour, now thriving in Antonio Conte's Napoli midfield alongside his fellow Scot. "The goals for Napoli last season, even with Scotland—in the tough moments it is Scott who has got us the win or the goal. Kids look up to him, idolise him, but Scott is already focused on the next game."
The summer of 2024 brought both players to Italy—McTominay from Manchester United, Gilmour from Brighton—with skeptics questioning whether Premier League stars could adapt to Serie A. They answered decisively. McTominay fired Napoli to the title with spectacular goals, including his first major bicycle kick of 2025 against Cagliari to clinch the Scudetto. He was subsequently nominated for the Ballon d'Or and named Serie A Footballer of the Year, joining the company of legends like Ronaldo, Kakà, Andrea Pirlo, Zinedine Zidane, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Napoli's Spanish Quarter now bears its own mural of McTominay, and the fans receive him with religious fervor. But when asked about any of this—the titles, the awards, the art—he fidgets. "I feel big-headed talking about it," he admits.
The two Scots recently spoke about their hopes for the World Cup, about cooking risotto together in Naples, and about the warmth of a city that has fully embraced them. Scotland head coach Steve Clarke will rely heavily on his stars as they prepare to face the world's best in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. And if McTominay needs extra motivation, he need only remember that training goal in Saudi Arabia—and the fact that he has at least one more spectacular overhead kick waiting to happen when it matters most.