"Saw an opportunity there for myself to push my career" - Scott McTominay explains decision to leave Manchester United 

Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay has explained the reasons for his departure from Manchester United in the summer. The Scotland international joined his Italian employers from the Red Devils for a reported fee of €30.50 million.

The 28-year-old said he saw an opportunity to further progress his career with the Serie A giants. He's made 18 appearances across competitions for them, bagging four goals and three assists.

In his final season at Old Trafford, McTominay wasn't a sure starter and featured in the first XI 18 times in his 32 Premier League appearances. He appeared in the starting lineup four times in the UEFA Champions League.

Speaking to BBC Sport about the reasons behind his Manchester United exit, the midfielder said (via @UtdDistrict):

"It was a big decision, but it was quite straightforward. I saw the passionate [Napoli] fans, I saw the coach, I saw the players, and I saw an opportunity there for myself to push my career further."

Amid uncertainty over regular minutes at Old Trafford, it isn't surprising to see that McTominay decided to move to Napoli, where he's featured fairly often. In a box-to-box and slightly more attacking role, he's started 12 of his 13 Serie A appearances this campaign.

McTominay and Napoli also look poised to challenge for the Italian first-division title this season, sitting second in the Serie A standings. They're only two points behind the league leaders Atalanta after 16 matches.

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Troy Deeney reserves praise for Manchester United midfielder after win over Manchester City

Troy Deeney

Manchester United came from a goal behind to beat Manchester City by scoring twice in the final three minutes of their latest Premier League outing. They won 2-1 at the Etihad on Sunday, December 15.

While Amad Diallo has been praised for his brilliance in this tie, former Watford striker Troy Deeney believes Manuel Ugarte deserves some credit. After naming the Uruguay international in his Team of the Week, Deeney wrote on BBC Sport (via TeamTalk):

“I know it’s still early days under the new manager, but Ugarte has a bit of bite about him. He’s a bit horrible and even at 1-0 down he was making important tackles, blocks and getting attacks started."

"I thought he was the catalyst as to why they went on to win. I thought if it wasn’t for him they wouldn’t actually be in the game."

Ugarte joined Manchester United from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer for a reported €50 million. He's made 18 appearances across competitions since then, bagging an assist.