Latest Man Utd opinion on new McTominay contract

We were based at the home of Western Australian cricket, The WACA, basking in the Perth sunshine and shaking off the jetlag which had been caused by a 16-hour flight from Manchester. United were training for a couple of hours just yards away and, as a lifelong Reds obsessive, it’s a genuine thrill to watch those sessions.

But, in all honestly, none of that sticks out in my mind. 

My abiding memory of that July morning was an interview Scott McTominay gave to us in the stand, while he was drenched in sweat and literally still panting from an intense session that had just finished moments earlier.

Scott was our first player of the summer to speak in any depth and, following the club’s difficult finish to the 2018/19 season, it was fair to say that his job wasn’t easy – but he clearly didn’t care and embraced the challenge. 

McTominay was so incredibly impressive that myself, our reporter Stewart Gardner and cameraman Tom Reece all left the WACA with renewed energy – which was handy, considering the jetlag. This was a 22-year-old rookie, in essence, speaking with the experience and command of a senior pro. 

I write this cautiously, but he sounded just like a future Manchester United captain.

Somebody who will be at this club for a long, long time to come.