Scott McTominay the Napoli hero alongside Billy Gilmour as moment of genius seals historic Serie A title win

It wasn’t straightforward, naturally. No enterprise containing such a strong Scottish imprint could be expected to be a walk in the park, and initially it wasn’t. At 9.11pm local time, Napoli were suddenly the ones chasing. They were the ones with it all to do after Internazionale struck first in their game against Como in Lombardy to relegate Napoli into second place.

With half-time approaching, it needed some inspiration. It needed some magic. And in such scenarios, it tends to be a tall Scot with a shrine devoted to him in the city who steps up. Scotto did what Scotto does. A bicycle kick to win Serie A.

Matteo Politano’s cross was decent enough. But it still required something very special to see it registered as an assist. McTominay had taken up the position where he is so often to be found for Napoli on the edge of the opposition six-yard box. He shrugged off Gabriele Zappa’s attentions while flipping himself off the ground to connect with his right foot and send the ball into the net down low past Alen Sherri.

It says something that it was what you could imagine the man who has given his name to the stadium doing. On this stage, in this setting, McTominay evoked no less a football genius than Diego Maradona, whose memory is still revered in these parts and whose name now adorns the principal place of worship in the city.

Nearly 55,000 packed into the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona and an estimated 500,000 watched on screens located in parks and piazzas around the city. And in Scotland, barmen and women from Wick to Whithorn had to field the same question as kick-off approached: “Got the Napoli game on, pal?”

It was the cup final before the cup final. Celtic v Aberdeen at Hampden might well not have anything on this in terms of drama and tension. It certainly won’t have a more sophisticated tifo display.

“We have painted this year together …now only the signature is missing and the work of art is complete…” ran a message above and below a huge painting depicting two Naples street urchins unfurled in Curva B.

It undoubtedly beats “Take aim against the rebel scum” for its inspirational properties. Napoli could not fail amid such fervour.

Romelu Lukaku allowed everyone to breathe a little more easily when putting his side two in front five minutes after half-time with a finish that showcased his strength and poise. He held off two Cagliari defenders before slipping the ball past Sherri. All it needed now was Gilmour to score his first-ever senior club goal. This didn’t quite happen but he continued to pull the strings.

Somehow Cagliari had held on until the 42nd minute. Their keeper, the Albanian Sherri, looked suspect. He was playing his first game since December because No 1 Elia Caprile, who is on loan from Napoli, had reported an injury. Funny, that.

Giacomo Raspadori pulled a shot wide after a punch out from Sherri. A quick break after a rare Cagliari foray upfield saw the ‘keeper block from Gilmour. Politano then blasted over. Shortly afterwards came news from Como: Inter were ahead. Later came another newsflash: Pepe Reina had been sent off for the hosts in the veteran ‘keeper’s last match before retirement. A personal disaster for him of course but, in the end, it didn’t matter to Napoli, who were taking care of things very comfortably on their own. Cagliari even subbed their ‘keeper as the evening began to verge into processional territory.

Napoli, too, began to make use of their bench as assistant manager Christian Stellini – Antonio Conte sat in the stand after being sent off last weekend against Parma – permitted players to feel the love. McTominay stayed on - Napoli’s main man, their indispensable No. 8, to the end. So, too, did Gilmour, who has enjoyed such a strong end to his maiden season in Italian football.

Scots have left their mark on Europe before of course. There was even a Scottish Ballon d’Or winner in the shape of Denis Law, who was crowned the top footballer in Europe in 1964. The Lawman had already dipped his toe into Italian football. His 10-goal haul for Torino stood as a record for a Scot in a single season until McTominay – who now has 12 – came along.

But Law never won a Scudetto. No Scot has in the Serie A age. McTominay and a willing auxiliary in Gilmour have planted their flag at the top of a new and unprecedented peak as far as Scottish football is concerned.

A Scot winning one of the top five leagues in Europe is not unique, of course. They are not even the first to do it this season, with both players having to defer to Liverpool's Andy Robertson. But to do so in Italy, with a club traditionally seen as outsiders, indeed who actively promote themselves as outsiders, merits special applause.

McTominay is already seen as a god in Naples and although he will never displace Maradona in their affections, at least his central addiction remains football. Maradona succumbed to cocaine and goodness knows what else during a seven-year spell where he inspired the team to their first two Italian titles. Now they have four, with this their second in three years.

At the final whistle McTominay fell to the turf, hands covering his face. Tears then fell before he was presented with Serie A’s MVP (most valuable player) award. A year ago this weekend he won the FA Cup against Manchester City with Manchester United before they sold him. He has traded his boyhood club for immortality. Next stop for both him and Gilmour….Iceland at Hampden. The Tartan Army will now have to come up with something very special in the tifo department.