Scott McTominay is on the verge of a significant milestone as he prepares to earn his 60th Scotland cap against Greece at Hampden Park on Sunday.
The Napoli midfielder has become a crucial figure for Steve Clarke’s side, and his international teammate Che Adams believes the team is “lucky” to have him.
McTominay once again underlined his importance to Scotland with a match-winning penalty during Thursday’s 1-0 victory over Greece in the first leg of their UEFA Nations League play-off.
The 28-year-old won and converted the decisive spot-kick in the 33rd minute, taking his international goal tally to an impressive 11 in his last 22 appearances.
Torino striker Adams, who admitted he “probably” could have scored with a couple of chances in Athens, was full of praise for McTominay’s contributions.
“Scott has been massive. You can just see from his presence on the pitch. He helps the team in every aspect,” Adams said.
“Defending, running behind, scoring now as well. It’s a big bonus to have him and everyone’s happy that he’s scoring. He’s taken us up to win the games.”
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McTominay’s knack for arriving in the box at the right time has become a key feature of his game, something Adams believes has been a game-changer for Scotland.
“He understands football and he’s amazing at making the box and arriving late and scoring goals,” Adams added. “That’s what he’s helping us in the team now, that’s what he’s doing. We’re lucky to have him, to be honest.”
While McTominay grabbed the headlines on Thursday night, Adams is also feeling the benefits of his own move to Serie A last summer. The former Southampton striker believes his time in Italy has helped him develop into a more complete forward.
“I think I’ve learnt a lot, to be honest, being over there and protecting the ball more,” he explained.
“As you can probably see from Thursday, I’ve learned so much about my game in terms of helping the team build and move forward.”
Adams jokingly admitted that McTominay took the penalty “off him” but had no complaints about the former Manchester United star stepping up in such a crucial moment.
“He’s in a good moment, he deserves it and I’m happy that he’s took it, to be honest,” Adams said.
“Other people here take on the responsibility of scoring and I’m happy to win games. I think that’s the most important thing. I’ve always said that. To help the team progress and get higher up the pitch, I’m happy to do that.
“Obviously it gives us something to build on now, going back to Hampden. It was a bit frustrating how we didn’t impose ourselves in the second half, but we dug in and we got the result in the end.”
Scotland now return to Hampden Park with a narrow advantage as they aim to retain their place in Section A of the Nations League.
