McTominay's departure from the Red Devils in the summer of 2024 became a classic example of a player leaving Old Trafford and flourishing for another club.
The Scottish international who led his nation to the World Cup over the summer, was sold to Napoli for a fee reported at around £25.7M and not only won the league title but was named Serie A player of the year.
He grabbed 12 goals and 6 assists in 34 Serie A appearances during that campaign under Antonio Conte as Napoli dominated Italian football.
Speaking in a viral interview with The Athletic this week, Ten Hag admitted that he tried to stop McTominay from leaving before he wasn't backed by the United board.
"I make an argument, a reason: we don't have scoring abilities. Scott brings scoring abilities and great mentality. He has United in all his veins. So when they bring up the subject, 'No'. And in the end, they sold him. I got, of course, very embarrassed and disappointed," the former Ajax coach added.
On his departure: "I wouldn't go on with only one year left," Ten Hag explains. "So I said, 'I need an extra year, and we have to do it together'. They promised me loyalty, they promised me backing, they promised communication, that we get aligned. We spoke about the issues. But the promises, they didn't keep. That's why I got disappointed."
Since McTominay departed, United have won no major trophies and now sit 13th in the Premier League under manager Michael Carrick.