Scott McTominay lifts lid on health scare as Scotland hero declares he would NEVER have missed World Cup

McTominay reveals he played Scotland's World Cup games last summer while managing atrial fibrillation, undergoing corrective treatment in Boston before the Haiti opener.

Scott McTominay has opened up about a heart condition that affected him during Scotland's 2022 World Cup campaign in America. Two days before the group opener against Haiti, the Napoli midfielder experienced an irregular heartbeat — atrial fibrillation — that felt abnormal even for an elite athlete.

After alerting manager Steve Clarke, McTominay was taken to hospital in Boston where doctors put him under anaesthetic and administered shock treatment to reset his heart's rhythm.

The issue was kept secret at the time, with McTominay missing training at the Charlotte base camp under the cover of a 'sickness bug'. He went on to play all three group games — wins over Haiti and Morocco, and a loss to Brazil — though observers noted he wasn't at his dynamic best.

McTominay acknowledged the criticism but insisted the underlying heart condition, which required further corrective surgery when he returned to Napoli, could have affected his performances.

Despite the health scare and the physical toll of anaesthetic, McTominay was adamant he would never have missed the World Cup. He described it as the culmination of 20 years of work as a young footballer and professional, and said he was "fully functional" during the tournament. Scotland's campaign ended in group-stage elimination, prompting manager Steve Clarke to resign.