After being sold by United last summer, McTominay not only finished the season as a title winner, but also Serie A Player of the Year.
Charlie Jackson was McTominay's first coach at United and he told The Sun: “There were no video phones in those days but I wish we could have filmed him as you’d have seen a special player.
“I’ve got his first shirt, his first training shirt and his first football — that we’ve got in a glass case — because you knew. You just knew.”
He added: “He was tenacious, he wanted to learn.
“We’d spend maybe 1½ hours on a session and he’d spend another 20 minutes afterwards, wanting to master what he’d just done.
“I’d have to have another few kids to do a drill and do the same thing again with him because he just wanted to get it.
“It’s rare you see that in a child that age.”
Mourinho fantastic for McTominay
Jackson was also eager to highlight the influence of former United manager Jose Mourinho, who gave McTominay his debut.
He said, “Jose was just fantastic for him. Gave him his debut, looked after him.
“Scott always works off confidence and a pat on the back. If you believe in him, he’ll run over coals for you. Conte’s done that. Mourinho did that as well.”