Scott McTominay needed an electric shock to reset his heart just two days before Scotland’s opening match at the World Cup.
Hospital Bed Before Haiti
The Napoli midfielder revealed the medical emergency in a press conference reported by Sportmediaset, explaining that he woke up in a hospital bed on the eve of the tournament. McTominay stated that he was in peak physical condition before the sudden cardiac event required doctors to perform a cardioversion.
Speaking from the Scotland training camp on the eve of a Nations League fixture against North Macedonia, McTominay reflected on how the tournament panned out, noting that The World Cup was hard.
He added that right at the end of his preparations, he had to undergo an electrical shock to reset his heartbeat, which is better known as electrical cardioversion.
I was in perfect shape, then I found myself in a hospital bed two days before the match against Haiti,
McTominay said, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport. Not exactly an ideal situation.
Corriere della Sera noted that the player recalled thinking, Why me?
as medical staff prepared him for anesthesia.
Ablation Procedure at Manchester
The World Cup incident followed an underlying heart issue that first surfaced at the start of the European club season. McTominay underwent a catheter ablation procedure at Manchester to correct a mild benign arrhythmia, forcing him to miss club matches from September through October until he received medical clearance.
The Corriere della Sera noted that he is one of the leaders of Massimiliano Allegri’s Napoli squad, having previously won a Scudetto as a protagonist under Antonio Conte.
While television broadcasts and newspapers portrayed the situation as severe, McTominay insisted to Sky Sport that the procedure itself was straightforward. Friends and family contacted me after reading the news in the papers, but the operation I faced in Manchester was very simple,
he explained.
He mentioned that in a footballer’s career, events can catch you off guard, and while things looked much worse to the media, it was something that needed to be done.
Scott McTominay reveals that two days before the Haiti game at the World Cup he was put to sleep in a hospital bed in America to get his heart 'shocked'. The Napoli midfielder also says after the World Cup is the 'most disappointed' he's been in his career.#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/Tdc4G7Z6Hw
McTominay Recovers from Career Low Point
Despite the disruption in his preparation, McTominay played every minute of Scotland’s three group matches without being substituted, according to Sky Sport. Fantacalcio reported that the midfielder spent two to three weeks deeply disappointed after the tournament concluded, noting that it ranked as the lowest point of his professional career.
He admitted that mentally he was not fully present afterward and needed time to calm down and detach himself, reflecting that the enormous disappointment made it likely the most disappointing moment of his entire career.
He noted that you have to move on because football is like that, and sometimes things do not go the way you would like, though you must continue giving your best without letting it sound like an excuse.
Now fully recovered, the midfielder has returned to Serie A action with Napoli. I feel much better than before,
McTominay told Sky Sport.
I am just very happy to be back playing football, the most important thing in my life.
He added that he wants to return, demonstrate his worth once more, and reach a higher level, emphasizing that no matter how well you play a match, what matters is always the next game, recovering energy, minding nutrition and sleep, and pushing beyond your limits.
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