Scott McTominay has disclosed that he underwent a procedure to have his heart "shocked" just two days before Scotland kicked off their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign against Haiti.
The Napoli midfielder was treated for a mild, benign heart arrhythmia that first emerged when the Scotland squad arrived in the United States in early June. The condition continued to trouble him in August during his return to club football in Italy, eventually prompting a cardiac ablation procedure carried out in Manchester in September.
At the time, Scotland's camp attributed McTominay's absence from pre-tournament training to a stomach complaint, keeping the true nature of his condition out of the public eye.
McTominay opens up
Speaking at a press conference at Hampden on Tuesday, the 29-year-old was candid about the ordeal. "I had to go and get the shock on my heart two days before the Haiti game," he said.
McTominay featured in all three of Scotland's group-stage matches at the FIFA World Cup 2026, but his side were eliminated at that stage. He reflected honestly on how the medical situation affected him mentally.
"I was 100 per cent (fit), but obviously when you're sat in a hospital bed two days before the first game of the World Cup about to get put to sleep, it's not ideal, is it? You've prepared so well, I was in such good condition and then something like that happens and you're thinking, 'How is this happening to me?'"
He went on to describe the weeks that followed as among the lowest of his career. "After the World Cup, it was probably the most disappointed I've ever been in my career," he said. "That one took a good couple of weeks to get out of my system."
Surgery and recovery
After returning to Napoli for the start of the current Serie A season, McTominay played the club's opening two league matches before concluding that surgery was the only lasting solution. He spent the entirety of September on the sidelines following the corrective procedure, missing Scotland's first four matches under new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli.
Now back with the national squad, the former Manchester United man has played in all nine of Napoli's matches since the last international break and expressed relief at his return to full fitness.
"I'm good. I'm feeling much, much better than what I was. It was something that needed to be done. Obviously, it looks a lot worse to people in the media and family and friends who reach out to you after they've seen news relating to a heart issue. But it was a relatively straightforward procedure which went really, really well in Manchester. I'm just really happy to be back playing football again."
Nations League double-header ahead
Scotland host North Macedonia at Hampden on November 13 before travelling to face Switzerland three days later in their final UEFA Nations League fixture of the campaign. McTominay's return adds significant experience to Sebastien Pocognoli's squad as they close out the group.
