Jose Mourinho has revealed the playful way he ended up with Scott McTominay’s shirt after Benfica’s 2-0 win over Napoli on Wednesday night.
Mourinho’s Benfica side beat the Italian champions in their Champions League clash thanks to goals from Richard Rios and Leandro Barreiro. After the match, the 62-year-old once again delivered a memorable press conference moment, turning a simple bag into the centre of attention.
“I benched Pogba for him – the least he could do was give me his shirt”
Mourinho arrived in the media room carrying a bag, prompting a puzzled reaction from reporters. One journalist joked by asking whether it was a gift for someone in the press.
The Portuguese coach’s answer drew laughter as he revealed what was inside.
“It’s McTominay’s shirt,” he replied. “I put him in, I benched Paul Pogba for him. The least he could do was give me his shirt.”
McTominay, now 29, played under Mourinho at Manchester United for almost two seasons. Having joined United’s academy at the age of five, he made his senior debut in May 2017 in a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal, coming off the bench for Juan Mata. A few weeks later he earned his first start in a win over Crystal Palace.
By the second half of the 2017/18 season, McTominay had become a regular in Mourinho’s team, competing with the likes of Pogba, Michael Carrick and Mata for a place in midfield. Even after Mourinho’s sacking in late 2018, the midfielder remained an important figure at Old Trafford, going on to make over 250 appearances for the club.
Revival at Napoli and climb up the Ballon d’Or list
McTominay’s United career stalled in the build-up to the 2024 summer transfer window, but a move to Serie A revived his fortunes. Joining Napoli, he helped the club reclaim the Scudetto and produced some of the best football of his career.
His performances in Italy were impressive enough to see him finish 18th in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings, a remarkable achievement for a player once seen as a squad option at Old Trafford. Mourinho can reasonably claim some credit for setting him on that path when he first trusted him at United.
Mourinho’s role in McTominay choosing Scotland
The manager’s influence on McTominay’s career goes beyond club football. Born in Lancaster, the midfielder was eligible to play internationally for both England and Scotland through his father. For a time, his international future was genuinely undecided.
According to previous accounts, then-Scotland manager Alex McLeish was encouraged to move quickly by Mourinho himself. With Gareth Southgate in no rush to bring McTominay into the England setup, Mourinho invited McLeish to meet the player in Manchester. He helped arrange a conversation between the two, which led to McTominay committing his international future to Scotland in 2018.
Since then, McTominay has become arguably Scotland’s most important player. He was the hero in November when he scored a spectacular bicycle kick in the decisive match that sealed Scotland’s place at the 2026 World Cup.
From giving him his breakthrough at Manchester United to nudging him towards Scotland and now joking about “collecting” his shirt after a Champions League win, Mourinho’s connection with McTominay clearly remains strong.
