- Scott McTominay has shed some light on the work football stars put in in the gym
- He revealed he also got advice from Paul Pogba on building muscle
- Has the defeat to Man United exposed a chink in Aston Villa’s armor? It all starts
Scott McTominay has opened up about the intense training Premier League footballers have to do in the gym.
The towering 6ft 4in midfielder has had a solid start to the season for Man United, scoring five times in the Premier League. Notably, he helped United beat Chelsea 2-1 in early December.
In 2022, McTominay posted a photo of his muscular physique on Instagram during a late evening workout ahead of the start of the 2022–2023 season.
The 27-year-old has now opened up about how he achieved his impressive body transformation, revealing that his former Man United teammate, Paul Pogba, once spoke to him about building muscle.
“I think people would open their eyes if they knew how hard players work in the gym and how much intensity you need to push yourself to achieve those goals,” the Scotland international said in an interview with FourFourTwo.
Man United midfielder Scott McTominay, pictured here in 2022, has revealed his impressive body transformation
The 27-year-old, pictured here in 2017, opened up about how hard he’s had to work to grow taller
He also revealed that he once received gym advice from ex-Man United midfielder Paul Pogba
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‘My body has transformed over the past seven years. When I was 17 or 18, I weighed 70kg, at 1.80m; now I weigh 85 kg.
‘I had to work exceptionally hard to build muscle.
‘I once talked to Paul Pogba about it: he said: “When you turn 23, you will build muscle mass.” But it didn’t happen and I remember thinking, “Where is it?!”
His work in the gym may also have helped him climb Erik ten Hag’s pecking order, with the midfielder starting 12 of the 16 games he has played for United in the Premier League so far this season .
For context, Mctominay played 24 games for United last season and was included in the Dutch manager’s starting line-up in just 10 of those matches. He was reportedly in talks to move to West Ham in the summer in a bid to gain more playing time.
He also captained United in their recent goalless draw against Liverpool at Anfield after Bruno Fernandes was suspended.
McTominay, who has been praised for his performances this season, added: “I’m fortunate that I’ve always loved the gym. I like to see marginal gains and I am competitive in that regard.
‘The same goes for nutrition and sleep. I would say I am disciplined and I am proud of that.’
He claimed that he has had to ‘work extremely hard to build muscle’ in recent years
McTominay had a great start to the season, starting 12 of the 16 games he played for United
United manager Erik ten Hag has also praised the midfielder for his excellent form in front of goal
Earlier this month, the Scot was praised by his manager for his hard work in regaining his place in United’s starting XI, with Ten Hag also praising Harry Maguire.
Ten Hag said: ‘They are here, they are great players and have played their way into the team.
‘You expect that from every player, there has to be dedication to strive for that.’
On McTominay’s recent form in front of goal, the Dutchman added: ‘Actually from the first moment I saw it, he has a very good scent to get it into the box and he is a very good finisher.
“That’s no surprise if we bring it and the way we want to play and get the balls in, he’ll finish it.”
