Antonio Conte admits he was puzzled by Manchester United’s inability to get the best out of Scott McTominay before his move to Napoli.
McTominay had been with United’s academy since the age of five but the club opted to sell the midfielder in a £25.7 million deal to Napoli last year.
The 28-year-old made an immediate impact in Italy as he played a pivotal role in Napoli’s Serie A title success and was voted as the division’s player of the year.
During his time in United’s first-team, McTominay struggled to find his best position in midfield but Conte insists the Scotland international had all the attributes to become a success.
‘I knew him when he played with Manchester United because I coached two times in England,’ Conte said.
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‘I saw great potential in this player and was [asking] why Scott McTominay is not dominant in England because he has great potential.
‘When the possibility happened to sign him for Napoli, honestly in the first moment I didn’t believe that it could happen. It happened and now he is enjoying it.
‘For a player like him, he was born in Manchester United and there is a point in your career and life where maybe you need to change and to try another experience. It happened with us and we are really, really happy because we are not only talking about a fantastic player but a fantastic man.’
Conte also revealed that Hojlund was keen to make the move to Napoli after a difficult season at United under Ruben Amorim.
‘I knew Rasmus because he played with Atalanta and then he came to Man United. In my opinion we are talking about a player with great potential and he is only 22, so he has a whole career ahead of him,’ Conte said.
‘When we spoke with him, I felt he was really happy to get this new experience and he said he was ready and wanted to play for me and for Napoli.
‘He has great potential and now it’s up to me to improve him and to grow and to become a really, really top striker. Whether they come from the Premier League or any other championship, the important thing is that the players who arrive or come onto the pitch can give something.
‘Hojlund didn’t have much luck or a great experience in the last couple of years at Man United.
‘He is a 22-years-old who has a whole career in front of him. He’s shown that he has so much potential and so many things that I need to work on to try and implement even more and make them even better.’
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