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Naples is a one-club city, with only a handful of pockets of real success in their history. They really idolise their heroes, most notably Maradona – who was part of their first two title wins – and whom their stadium is now named after.<\/p>\n
McTominay will never reach those levels – nobody could – but he is still adored as much as any mere mortal can be.<\/p>\n
McFratm – which roughly translates as McBro in Neapolitan slang – is his favourite nickname. But he has also been called McTerminator, MacGyver and apribottiglie (the bottle opener). Eight of his 12 goals have come with the score at 0-0.<\/p>\n
“I saw the passionate fans, I saw the coach, I saw the players and I saw an opportunity,” McTominay told BBC Scotland in December.<\/a><\/p>\n “I took it, I didn’t look back. It didn’t take me long to make the decision because I knew that was what I wanted and I’ll never have any regrets in my life. As soon as I put my mind to something I want to do it, that’s it. There’s no holding me back.<\/p>\n “I love this place, I love the fans, I love my team-mates.”<\/p>\n San Ciro’s restaurant in Edinburgh have a Scotland flag up with the words ‘Napoli. McTominay. Pizza. In that order’.<\/p>\n That says a lot for a pizza restaurant.<\/p>\n Brothers Ciro and Santo Sartore, who were born and raised in Scotland to Neapolitan parents, run the restaurant together.<\/p>\n About McTominay’s popularity, Ciro said: “In my opinion, it’s because of how well he has taken to Napoli.<\/p>\n “Napoli fans love when a player commits to the city, and him kissing the Napoli badge shows how much the love and appreciation means to him. Obviously, scoring a lot of goals helps too.”<\/p>\n A shrine emerged to McTominay in San Nicola a Nilo this month.<\/p>\n “Napoli fans could not be happier – he is the symbol of the attitude of this Napoli, with his intensity and sacrifice in every game,” added journalist Credendino.<\/p>\n “This is something the fans appreciate a lot, as they liked his kiss on the shirt in the match against Palermo in September and the fact he is learning Italian and even Neapolitan.”<\/p>\n And another way to make himself popular with Napoli and Italian fans? Praising their tomatoes.<\/p>\n