Scott McTominay 'looking after number one' as he lifts lid on Manchester United exit and Billy Gilmour support

The Scotland midfielder said farewell to his boyhood club at the end of August when completing a £25million move to Napoli despite then United manager Erik Ten Hag expressing a desire to keep him.

McTominay has shone in his debut season in Italy, helping his new club to second in the Serie A table with four goals and two assists in 15 appearances for Antonio Conte's side.

He has become a firm favourite with Napoli supporters - with some United fans left pining for the 28-year-old, who scored ten goals for the Old Trafford outfit last season despite not being a regular starter.

"It was a big decision, but in some ways it was quite straightforward," McTominay told BBC Scotland. "I saw the passionate fans, I saw the coach, I saw the players and I saw an opportunity.

"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.

"On my last day, I had to go and see everyone and it was not easy to say goodbye. But that's football. That's the life. I spoke to him [Ten Hag]. He expressed his thoughts on the situation. I said, 'listen it's my career, I am here to push myself on'.

"In this situation, I have to look out for number one and go with my gut feeling of what I want to do in my career and not be held back by any other external factors. It was amicable. I love that football club to bits, they have been my life for 22 years, but I have moved on now. I am thoroughly enjoying myself here."

Financial Fair Play rules are understood to have played a part in Manchester United sanctioning McTominay's exit with the money acquired from the sale of homegrown players helping to balance the books.

"It was a mutual decision," McTominay, who had been with United since the age of six, added. "It was a case of - there's an opportunity there, do you want to go?

"Obviously I know from their side FFP is difficult. It's not easy for clubs to make a decision in regards to homegrown players, but that was never in my thought process.

"My thought process was coming here, seeing the fans, the coach and hopefully doing really good things."

McTominay was not the only Scot to move to Napoli in the summer with international teammate Billy Gilmour also joining from Brighton in a deal worth up to £16m with the duo helping each other to settle into their new environment.

"I love this place," McTominay added. "I love the fans, I love my team-mates. It has been a pleasure to be with Billy every day rather than just seeing him at Scotland and we have helped each other a lot."