Scott McTominay: "Why I'm desperate to win at all costs for Manchester United" (E236)

0:00Watch it early on the High Performance app. Available now, Roman Kemp The broadcaster opens up A powerful conversation On success and mental health Hi there, you're listening to High Performance The show that unlocks the minds Of the most fascinating people on the planet I'm Jake Humphrey And alongside our expert in high-performing cultures Damien Hughes We learn from the stories, successes And struggles of our guests Allowing us all to explore Be challenged and to grow here's what's coming up today. Everyone has it. It's just how you control that and how you manage that in terms of your craft.

0:38Doesn't matter what you do. Can I keep performing at the level that I'm going? And that is ultimately what fuels me. The self-doubt. What defines you as a football player that you have to do every single game? My mentality. How I approach the game. Like if I was ever going into a game and I was a little bit soft and that's not me and I want to be one of the ones who has the biggest output in the game. I want to be able to score goals. Whenever you're not playing, you can't take it too personally. Everyone wants to play every single game. So whenever you are given the opportunity, you need to take it.

1:09That's my nature. I want to win. And I'm desperate to win at all costs. So welcome to high performance Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay. So Scott joins us at a brave time actually, a time when his club are really struggling for results and performances on the pitch. But actually, I believe this is the perfect time because all too often when things are tough, players, clubs, managers, they don't want to do this kind of stuff. They don't want to have these kinds of conversations. What is it actually like being in the eye of the footballing storm? How does Scott deal with criticism? What does it really feel like when you're having to leave all of that at the door and go out and perform on a football field?

1:51What is he doing as someone who deeply loves Manchester United and is a proper professional to try and drag that club back to where they belong. I tell you now, this guy was deeply impressive when he came into the room for this conversation with us. He was humble. He was well-spoken. He was polite. He clearly loves the football club, clearly thinks deeply about his game and about his career. So let's get to know the person behind the player. Let's welcome Scott to High Performance. And don't forget, if you want to download the High Performance app, he delivers on there some exclusive, awesome advice to young players because that's something he's super passionate about, offering advice to young players, to the next generation who dream of doing what he's done.

2:34So let's get to know the person behind the player, but let's get to it then and welcome Scotland and Manchester United footballer, Scott McTominay to High Performance.

2:57Go to Upwork.com today and start hiring proven freelance talent fast. No bulky overhead. No rigid long-term contracts. Just the right expert right when you need them. Work smarter and faster with Upwork. Go to Upwork.com now and find your freelance expert. That's U-P-W-O-R-K.com. Post a job for free and get started today. What is comfort? Comfort is a mattress that feels soft and supportive, made without harmful chemicals. Comfort is being able to invest in your well-being and still having money left for the things you love. That's the Eco Organic Mattress from Avocado. Thoughtfully made, surprisingly affordable, and trusted by families.

3:37And with flexible financing from a firm, organic comfort is more accessible than ever. Shop the Eco Organic Mattress today at avocadomattress.com and save 10%. Avocado. Dream of better. This episode is brought to you by Opera Air The first browser with mindfulness at its core Now, most of us spend hours every day online But how often do we pause to take care of ourselves whilst we're doing it? And that's where Opera Air comes in It's a lightweight, fast, secure browser Built not just for productivity, but for your well-being With Opera Air, mindfulness is built right in You'll find free breathing exercises, guided meditations and soundscapes with ambient sounds, lo-fi music and binaural beats, all designed to help you focus, relax and even spark creativity while you browse.

4:31Well, Scott, here we go. Here we go. Your first ever podcast, right? My first ever podcast. Yeah, thank you for having me. It's an absolute pleasure. Thank you. And I think we're going to be talking about things that maybe people haven't heard you speak about before, right? Yeah, there'll be obviously different parts of my life that not every football fan might pay attention to or know about yourself. And obviously for me, it's just good to help maybe future footballers coming in and understanding what it's like is growing up a big football club like Man United or somewhere different in London or Manchester, for example.

5:03Well, let's start then where we always do on this podcast. What do you believe high performance to be? I would say it's the standards that I hold accountable to myself I would say that's probably the best answer that I could give you in terms of what I do every single day at football and the standards that I'm going in there every single day to learn and work hard and improve myself every single year we go back and do the pre-season testing and for me that's a good gauge for every single year am I improving every year at what I'm trying to do, get fitter, get stronger, get faster all them components ultimately contribute to becoming a better football player And what's the key then to finding that consistency in your life to make sure that the main thing remains the main thing?

5:46How do you do that for people that might be listening and struggling with that? Do you know what? I was extremely fortunate with my upbringing in terms of my parents. I literally could not have had better role models in my life. They would drive me three, four times a week from Lancaster to Manchester and back with no questions asked. They would do that for me or my sister if she was going to athletics or I was going to football. so I had that platform which was ultimately not what a lot of young children and aspiring football players or athletes have so that was a big one for me and they were some of the best days of my life me and my dad in the car for for that long it might not seem it but like the chats that we would have and no matter how well or bad I played in the game we'd always just get in the car and say do you know what we enjoyed it play with a smile on your face and and that's part and parcel of of the game of football like that's the way I look at it today as well so tell us about those early days then Scott when Manchester United were first interested how did that actually happen?

6:41All went really quickly I was obviously really young at the time playing in my local team in the area and there were scouts that would go to all the games and stuff like that and then scouts just approach sometimes parents or the coach and just say listen would he be interested in coming down to the development centres and that was impressive at the time and honestly I absolutely loved it and ever since then I fell in love with the game and my dad obviously my mum dad had absolutely no problems taking me so many miles every single week it might sound ridiculous but I wouldn't be in the position that I would be in today if it wasn't for their dedication and and just how good they were with me as a kid so here's a question then because we're both sports parents and we see and hear all those like toxic horrendous messages on the sidelines when our kids are performing it's easy when you're just playing for the local club and your dad goes Scott just enjoy it yeah right when Man United come calling and you're suddenly wearing that famous kit the stakes are higher so did your dad maintain that belief that at that stage it had to be all about fun or was there a moment where for you and him it changed always it still is today like no matter what really and he was never too too firm with me because I feel like he knows that I'm I'm quite a fiery character in respect that if he was if I got back in the car and he was screaming at me saying you were rubbish you did this that and the other I would tell him to shut up because that's the type of character I am everyone's different and I think he just knew how to manage me from an early age.

8:03So tell us about the car conversations because a lot of people that work with young footballers talk about the damage that's often done on that car journey home after a game where you might have had a disappointing result or not played well. Tell us what were the best messages that your dad was doing that you felt kept your love of the game alive? Often not even football related stuff just getting in the car playing silly games and listening to music and stuff like that just like real good quality of time that you look back on now and you think you know what they were some of the best days of my life and obviously I was very fortunate in that respect but some parents obviously approach it different which is there's no right or wrong way of doing it it's just knowing how your child or your kid growing up playing football might respond to it whenever I was maybe 14 15 there were some times where I would get in the car with my dad and say because I was small I was like five foot six when I was 17 18 years old well 16 17 so I was a baby in terms of going through puberty and I was the latest one to develop in terms of physically and stuff like that.

8:59But I would always get roughed about in football matches. So I would always get bullied off the ball. I would have to really work hard for everything that I got given. I literally got given nothing because there was boys who were men at 12, 13, 14 years old with beards. And I was the young kid who was no muscle on him, nothing, and couldn't get near anyone. So there was times like that where I'd get in the car and say, Dad, I can't do this. What is happening? And he would be like, listen, because my dad's six foot two. so he would sit down and he said listen son don't worry about it you're gonna grow there's nothing there's no no rush there's got to be patient and to be fair the club were incredible at that time because they could have easily let me go and said no he's too small so then that gave me a lot of peace of mind in terms of maybe I might grow and now I'm 6 '3".

9:42It would have I'm sure given you peace of mind and it's nice that people were saying look we'll be patient with you but there must have been at that moment like some kind of doubt or fear in you yeah there was maybe watching other lads with the adidas contracts and the night contracts and everything was coming really thick and fast at them and as a kid you're looking at them thinking i would love that but then i had to be so resilient and i had to earn everything that got given and neil ryan was one of my old coaches and he would say that was like a dog whenever i was a kid because i had to be otherwise i would just be I would be cast aside and no one would even notice you so you had to do something to get people's attention give us an example of the resilience tell us a story of that time like when you think about being the small guy like in that team I didn't kick a ball from 16 to 18 in the youth team and I was in the gym for two years and I did not kick one single ball my groins my hip flexors were stretching so much that my body couldn't keep up I was going through trouble with my knees the groins was the worst to be honest because then you actually couldn't train and I remember being in an under-18s training session with Paul McGuinness and I literally could not pass the ball because my groin was in that much pain and I was thinking, this isn't right, this.

10:51Because you had some boys there who were so compact and strong for their age and they were doing 1 ,000 metres high speed every single game at 16 and I'm sat there thinking, this is impossible and without the club and the patience that they showed, it would be a very different story. Tell us about how that must have affected your own identity because 16 to 18 you're a footballer that doesn't play football yeah so how did that affect the way that you saw yourself I just didn't really understand properly what was going on I it's hard for me to put into words I was more just so concentrated on being in the gym and improving myself that way that I didn't even notice that I wasn't playing as much as other lads and stuff like that whenever I was maybe 16 to 18 and then there was a time where obviously you take a stretch when you're 18 19 you get to the height i am today um and then i moved into the reserves and then i got to grips with warren joyce i don't know if any of you know him yeah yeah yeah he transformed me and for those that are listening to this rather than watching it i'm about to show you a photo of um a young scott mctominay wearing a very interesting t-shirt i know i didn't dress myself with sir alex ferguson how old did you have been there i was 15 nearly 16.

12:07So what are your memories of the support that Sir Alex would offer to young players around this time? Obviously massive in terms of he had a really good relationship with the academy and whenever they agreed to keep me on as a scholar and then eventually give me my first professional contract we got invited into Sir Alex's dressing room before the game and my mum and dad were there and we got a beautiful photograph with him and obviously my mum and dad were on the other photo that he didn't show and then he showed us all around the dressing room and we met the players before the game against Fulham and went up and sat in the box and it didn't have to do that.

12:41That was one of the things that was a real touch of class that we always look back on and we think, do you know what, that inspired me and I went home that day and I was like, do you know what, Dad, I want to be like that. I want to be potentially in that first team dressing room one day and do it my way. But at that point I was still a baby so you don't realise how naive you are at the time in terms of football and stuff like that. And what happened around you then to keep your feet on the ground? Because I imagine that's a bit of a dizzying experience going in, meeting Saralik, going in the dressing room.

13:10How did you sort of not get high on your own supply and focus on the steps you needed to take to get in that dressing room as a senior footballer? I think it was more not getting too ahead of yourself too quickly and also just thinking that there's so much more to do in terms of training and playing well in games in the reserves. And obviously, if you get your chance in the first team, you have to prove yourself then as well. So at no point did I ever lose sight of the ultimate goal, which was to play for the football club. And my parents and my family and my mum and my dad's side are extremely hardworking people.

13:41That's probably where I get that nature from in terms of it's all about family and we always have to work hard and stuff like that. They're the traits that I've been luckily passed on from them. And I still think there's a sense that when you're a young footballer, everything comes easy, particularly if you've signed for a club the size of Manchester United. So let's have a really honest conversation, which I think is important for parents and young players to hear as well about those early stages when you see your contemporaries being released at the drop of a hat. You see young guys getting injuries that end their career and they never make it.

14:13You see people getting sent out on loan and never coming back. You're in digs. You're away from your parents. You're trying to find your voice and your role in this totally alien environment. What is it really like? It's tough. The decision whenever Man United offered me a scholarship to go to Ashland Mersey and be there for the next four years to do my studies and stuff like that and play football as well. It was tough for mum and dad. I'm 12 years old and I'm leaving the house saying, I'll be back on the weekend for Saturday and Sunday after my game and you might get one day off on a Sunday and come back and see them.

14:44But my mum and dad made a big conscious effort to come see me during the week. So I was so homesick. It was so hard. Honestly, I don't know how they did it because if it was my children in the future, sure I would have a real tough time with that but as you say they always asked me if I wanted to do that and if I would enjoy doing that and just as long as I had a smile on my face whenever I did at school and at football they were happy that was all they wanted. And you mentioned Warren Joyce and said like he changed everything for me. Yeah. What did he do and how did he do it? I remember that whenever I was 18 years old and I was playing in the youth team with Paul McGuinness and I wasn't even playing that bad and he's come over to me at halftime and roasted me in front of everyone and this was like, at the time where he wasn't, it was one of the first games of pre-season and he just roasted me, he ridiculed me and he was like, you play like that, you won't ever get nowhere or something like that, along them sort of lines where he's been a little bit, maybe too forceful but at the time, it was just a test because all the lads are then coming in saying, nah, like, why is he saying that?

15:45Like, you played all right? And I was like, nah. And then you move up to Warren Joyce and he does that every week. So that's the norm. So he was just preparing you for what's to come. And at the time I didn't realise that. And now I look back and I think, because Warren Joyce was ruthless, he would be running all the games, he would be on the sidelines screaming and stuff like that. But that's just to get you prepared for men's football and what it's like as a proper football player in the football leagues. It's not going to be all sunshine and rainbows whenever you go down the road and play for someone on loan because that's just not football.

16:17People are playing for their lives, the mortgages, the houses, the kids, the family, and he was preparing us for that. And I was like, do you know what? I just bought into everything that he ever told me. But take us inside your head then, right? You're 18, you're on the touchline, and you've got a grown man, somebody in a position of power, shouting at you, telling you you're a disgrace, and you'll get nowhere if you do that. Take us in your head, like, how are you processing those words, not to be hurt by it, take it in the wrong way, but to reach a conclusion that you've just described? I actually didn't mind it.

16:49And all the lads were making it worse, though, because they were saying, like, nah, this is bad. Like, how can he speak to you like that? And we were only, like, 16, 17, 18 at the time. And I was like, it is what it is. Do you think it's necessary, though, to give somebody a roasting or to do what you experienced, to get them to a place of resilience? Or do you think there's another way? I think there is always other ways. It always depends on characters and stuff like that. You can never get too much into the, like, right, he needs a roasting or he needs an arm around the shoulder. The people who are doing that need to weigh it up and see how that character might react in that certain situation.

17:24But for me, I didn't mind either. It was one of them things where I never really had that with my dad. I didn't need that with my dad because we'd end up just bickering. If he said that to me today, I'd turn around to him. We'd end up arguing. So why didn't you argue with Warren then, if that was in your nature to fire back? I think because he picked the team. That was all it was. if he didn't pick the team then maybe but um you always have to be respectful in in certain situations like that you can never lose your temper and um say personal things to each other if he was being personal then it is very different but all he's trying to do is help you that's literally one of the first things that I gathered from the conversations that I had with him was he's just trying to help you and some days he'd come over to me and say he's training with us from the first team I want you to go and do him I want you to go and show him who's the man and I wasn't the man I was the one who was fighting and clawing my best to try and get into training with the first team and it was just little things like that where I was like you know what I'll go and show him and then that was it he was the one who instilled that confidence in me I remember talking to Warren once and he told me about there's always a moment with young players where he said they either get tempted to come in the jacuzzi with the first team players after training or they're the ones that reject that and stay out and do the extras afterwards and he thinks that's a seminal moment for any young player on their journey i was frightened to death going in the jacuzzi just because he was like he was on you he would come in the pool and drag you out that's the way he was like he was brilliant with stuff like that he would never let anyone get too comfortable and he'd always say the thing about the millionaires club like oh you see all these the lads who've gone into the first team they're they're in the millionaires club because they've earned it and they've grafted the whole life to be like that they're not going home and drinking and going out until 6, 7 o 'clock in the morning doing whatever they want to do.

19:14They're grafting, they're thinking about the craft, they're thinking about everything that they want to do to become a professional footballer. And he is the best person that any young player could go and see in terms of being coached by because he's just so good at stuff like that. He's transformed my brain and how I thought about things. But even before Warren and obviously during Warren because it was kind of like the school of hard knocks in some ways, you had to have like hunger. like when you were staying in digs and feeling homesick and when you were short and you were feeling like judged by everyone because you were five foot six but then when you started to grow and it was painful and you weren't playing like there's so many moments in your story up until this point before you've even kicked a ball in the man united first team where you could have just gone this is too much i can't deal with this there is times like that there is times like that it's the coaches at man united are the best in the world at making young footballers feel like they can do anything and also not getting them too much on the high horse because they'll bring you straight back down to earth and level you straight away and that was one of the best things that I had with Neil Ryan and Dave Bushell Paul McGuinness all those guys they were they were immense at it I cannot speak highly enough of them they were the ones that kept all the group grounded me Marcus Axel Twinsabi Dimitri Mitchell Devontae Redmond players like that who some of the lads had quite big Eos for 13, 14, 15 years old because they've got the Nike contracts and they're getting a little bit of money here from doing whatever and stuff like that.

20:40And the families got big expectations on them to play in the first team. And they would just keep them at a level playing field. There was no... Just by the way that they went about it, the words, the way that they'd speak to parents, the way that they would coach you. They'd almost coach you like you was five to six years old when you're actually 13, 14, because it was that discipline. We always had to wear black boots. Stuff like that makes a massive difference. Well, let's talk then about the first team because eventually you get offered a professional contractor at Manchester United. I think the really interesting thing that maybe people either don't know or may have forgotten is that you signed a pro deal and it was four years till you kicked a ball in the Premier League.

21:20So that moment when you sign, you think this is it. This is the moment. Here I go. I'm now going to be a professional footballer. How challenging was that period there where you were so close to getting it, but for various reasons, it was a long wait. Do you know what? When you look back at it now and you realise the standard and the levels in the first team whenever you first go over, it is a little bit mind-blowing and you're going over there with a little bit of the bee in the bonnet thinking that I'm the man and I can come and train with you and then you see the standard of the players that you're playing with.

21:50It's high level and you have to sink or swim. You have to do your best to show people that you're ready and that you're capable of performing in that team. Give us an example of either a player or a moment where you thought, oh that's the level I now need to be at if I'm going to be a first teamer. Whenever I first went over this was maybe the start of the 2017 season and I wasn't confirmed in the first team squad at the time and I was going over to train with Jose Mourinho and his staff and all the players were there and there was a lot of lads away in the international break and I went over and trained with them.

22:21The referees were a little bit biased towards the first team lads and it was the young lads versus the old lads and it was getting too much where I was losing my tempo and I was like, no, this isn't right. If you're going to referee the game, referee it properly. Don't just give every single one of the first team as all the decisions and stuff like that. And I'm maybe raising my voice a little bit too much more than... How old are you at this point? 19. Are you fearful about going in and being loud in front of a load of experienced Man United first team players? Looking back in hindsight, it was probably the right thing to do, but also the wrong thing to do.

22:54So Jose Mourinho phones me because I was arguing with some of the older players. I think it was Michael Carrick and Ashley Young, who were the best professionals that you could meet. And I was just saying, well, yous are getting all the decisions, so at least be fair. We're trying our best there, but they're just giving you everything. No wonder we're losing, pretty much along them sort of lines, except a little bit, a couple of swear words in there, and every now and again. And Mourinho spoke to me and said, listen, you need them to like you. You can't make them think that you're a p***. And I was like, the complete opposite.

23:25I really didn't want them to think that I was like that. only whenever I was on the pitch. And I remember going home and he dressed me down, to be fair. He gave me a ridicule. And he was one of them ones where it was like, who do you think you are sort of thing? You've done nothing. And I was like, I was still living in digs at the time. And I went home in my car and I was like, and it turned out that a couple of, when was it? A couple of months down the line, the fitness coach spoke to me and said, he'd like stuff like that deep down. He was just testing you out to see how you'd react. And I was like, do you know what?

23:56I knew it, but I didn't want it. I thought it was over before it even started. The way, how forceful he was. Really? Well, you thought that was going to be the end of your... I thought it was, I would not even get a chance to even train with him. And then one of the players went on loan and he put me in the first team squad and I think he seemed to like me from there. Because I didn't really change either. I forgot about that conversation. And then a couple of months later... Did you turn up the next day and be all humble and different with the guys? I was maybe a bit quiet in the next couple of weeks, but once you forget about it and it's all old news sort of thing in terms of information in your brain, I just was back to normal maybe being a little bit loud So can I ask you about that first training session or the first time you started to go in amongst the first team squad because we've been lucky enough to speak to a few people that have described that experience to us like Phil Neville spoke about training with Cantona and just being blown away by, he used a phrase he said, the endless repetition of simple things.

24:49So how did you respond? Did you feel you needed to do something different than what you'd been doing with Warren and the reserves or explain it to us? So with Paul McGuinness in the under-18s, we had a lot of the tactical elements and with Warren Joyce, we had a lot of the physical elements. So whenever you go up to the first team, you're pretty much prepared for both. And then you get up there and you're training with Wayne Rooney's lat and Romelu Lukaku at the time. Paul Pogba was just coming back. Some of these guys were, the levels were ridiculous. So strong in terms of whenever I first went over, you felt like you couldn't get near them, how good they were and how sharp their brains were.

25:22Michael Carrick was a perfect example. He's probably one of the best players that I've ever trained with and been coached by. He was, honestly, the way that his mind worked was four, five, six steps ahead. Obviously not, but the way that he thought about the game was... And what way? Just how he approached it in terms of he could see maybe a few flaws in your game and he would see that before you even notice it yourself and he's just training with you. And then when he's a coach, he would mention little things that would come off in a game and little times when to check your shoulder and went to do ones around the corner and whatever team that you're playing against, the level of detail that he went into was amazing.

26:00And obviously I got to train with him whenever I first went into the first team and you could see it firsthand. He was incredible. And what were the lads like with you? Because like, you're coming to take their place. You're this young upstart from the, you know, United youth team and the reserve teams. And by the way, it would have been clear that Jose was a fan of yours from the things that he was saying and the way he was acting. So how were they? the lads have always been every changing room year by year have been amazing they've all been such great lads and um i couldn't fault them for that because they make you feel so welcome as well it's not just like you turn up one day and it's like who's this kid like what's he doing here do you know i mean they incorporate you in everything the jokes and the banter and stuff like that um and now at the moment we've got a really really good group in terms of that like the jokes and the camaraderie and stuff like that and everyone gets involved with it which is what he needs to have a successful team as well.

26:52But when we spoke to Rio Ferdinand, he told us about when he first joined Manchester United from Leeds and he recounted Roy Keane whacking a ball at him so it was difficult to control and when it bounced off him, he said, you don't get much for£18 million. And he felt it was somebody there just setting the standards to say, how are you going to react to this? This is Manchester United, we do things differently here. Did you ever have experiences where, you described the referee an example, but where you felt you were being tested to see whether you're worthy of a place in that dressing room. Loads.

27:24So it even happens today, like you do the boxes before the game and Asher Young was loud and you had other characters who were loud characters. You make one bad pass in the box and it was like, oh, he's had no breakfast today, he ain't ready. But like saying it in front of everyone and you're like, no, I'm ready. Do you know what I mean? Stuff like that that just makes young players come up and think, like you have to be on it. If you're not on it, then lads, experienced pros as well, will see it straight away. what's your memory of the standard that you have to get to to be a united first team player yeah i would probably say wayne rooney to be honest with you whenever i first went over they were preparing for the europa league final um and just the shooting after you know whenever they ping it to the edge of the box and you've got to finish with both feet and he was ridiculous it was the goalkeeper it might as well not had a goalkeeper in there because it was just stanchion bottom corner side netting posting and and he probably won't even remember it because it was just normal and I remember watching it thinking like that is absolutely incredible and do you know what he was so humble about it and if you had to speak to him about anything he would give you good advice and stuff like that and it's no surprise that he's going to be a great manager as well You've got two ways to go there though haven't you you've either got I'm going to get to that point or I can never get to that level Yeah So where did you go?

28:39It's difficult for young players as well because sometimes when you're watching them it's like well yeah it's Wayne Rooney but then when you're training against them you can't be like dipping your toe in and not wanting to tackle them and stuff like that you have to go in and and go for them that's it like the manager would prefer that anyway he wouldn't want you to be tiptoeing around them and not wanting to injure anyone you've got to go and play your normal game and I felt like I always tried to do my best at that I never wanted to be known as someone who was like half-hearted and was like taking care of the lads who were playing every week it's a game of football like people are going to get stood on they're going to get injured from time to time just as long as it's from no fault of mind I'm not purposely trying to do that that's just the way it is so you said way mooney was good at giving advice was there any particular bits that you could share with us not directly to me but you could see him speaking to lads and lads who were playing in the games and stuff like that every every week he was he was brilliant at that and he didn't have to speak too loudly either you just respected him for his voice and the way that he would come across with with some players and and stuff like that but the amount of advice that i've received over over my time as a footballer has been incredible for some amazing pros of the game as well.

29:48So give us an example. I would probably say Michael Carrick, and I'll refer back to him because he would always say to me that whenever you are going into football matches, you have to play free. And there was some times where you might get caught up in the life of playing for Man Utd, and some people think it's loads of pressure, some people don't. Just go and play free and go and enjoy yourself. And obviously concentrate on your craft and practice and practice and practice and a good example of that was whenever he was coaching and we were playing against Leeds and I scored two goals in the first two minutes and literally what we were doing two days before on the training pitch was making a couple of runs through the middle of the pitch because they played man for man and he was saying if you play up to the strike and just flick one around the corner and you're running straight through the middle the whole team's wide open and you can just go for it and it was just happened like that it was mad.

30:40So how do you prepare yourself then in the lead up to a game so that you like you say the lifestyle of being a Manchester United footballer gets left behind and you just feel that you're just playing football I think it comes down to how you prepare that's probably the biggest thing in terms of your sleep your nutrition and your training that's the three components that I always try and look after the most sleep is by far the biggest thing for me let me take you back to Jose Mourinho yeah because he's the kind of manager and you would have seen this with your teammates and with him at other football clubs as well he's the kind of manager where you're you're in or out right and there's a moment where you would have realized hold on i'm in here i mean i remember him calling you the special boy do you remember yeah yeah like he's the special one referring to you as the special as the special boy how did you feel when you heard that yeah i think obviously it was it was nice to hear that but he might be testing the rest of the group by thinking he's one of the ones who's trying his best and he's there all the time and he's training properly all the time and he's maybe referring to me as it's a little bit extra isn't it like whenever I heard it I was like yeah it's he's maybe just trying to send a message to the rest of them to maybe get their get their act together and start performing properly and you can never get too carried away because you'll get humbled so quick.

32:00How lucky were you that Jose Mourinho came to Manchester United? Yeah, lucky. He was the one who gave me my chance and who saw something in me that was the potential to play in the first team and have a career in Man United's first team for the last five years. So yeah, I mean, to elaborate on that, I would say very fortunate in that respect. and I owe him a great deal. My family love him. They think he's a character. He's a showman. He was the one who would tell us stories and stuff like that, which whenever you're a young kid and you're coming up and you're hearing the manager speak so openly with these players, but also being so demanding.

32:41So there was a fine line. Yeah. It was great for me and I loved that. What would you be comfortable to share though that is, I guess, the private education that Jose gave you? Like we saw the press conferences where he praised you. we saw the games where he picked you what did he do behind the scenes for you that really impacted you? There was a lot in terms of the time whenever I was going to play for Scotland and I already knew that I wanted to play for Scotland because my grandpa seeing me play for Scotland and walk out at Hamden Park still gives me goosebumps now even speaking about it which is obviously for my father as well like them moments whenever I go up and see them and the smile on their face their life is literally around their grandchildren and for me to see that really does make me happy so he was at the time Jose was the manager and he was just saying go with your heart and whatever you want to do you can do and I'm always here if you need to knock on my door and speak to me about any decisions that you've got to make I believe he's coming up to see you or he might be coming up to see you if you want and both not to see then fine no problem and I just said yeah thank you so much and I appreciate that kind gesture and already had my mind made up, but it was the fact that he was there for me and it was there for me.

33:57He wasn't just saying it tongue-in-cheek, you know what I mean? He was actually saying, you need to knock on my door, come and knock on. And did you ever? Yeah, sometimes about certain things. Whenever he left, I saw him in the corridor and he invited me in and I was just like, didn't really know what to say to him because I was obviously, I was gutted to be honest with you. What do you mean after he left United? As he was leaving, I was walking into his office as he was... On the day when he was... On the day, yeah. So did you know he was leaving? How is that communicated to the players? Just how it is with any other club, to be fair.

34:31You end up finding out through the people who sort you out in terms of your schedule and stuff like that. They'll relay a message or something like that. But whenever he was leaving, on that day I walked up and seen him in his office and it was hard because I was like, this guy's meant so much to me and he's given me all my dreams that I could have ever wished for in terms of playing for the first team and now he's gone. So I was like, I didn't know what to think. I was like, um and ah in. The self-doubt came in, new manager comes in, can I do it? What's going to happen here, here and here? What did you say to him on that day?

35:05Just said, thank you so much for the opportunity and you've been a real life legend for me and I can't thank you enough and good luck on what you do next and I'm always on the phone, not that he needs me, but if you ever need to text me about anything or some tickets for some Scotland games, let me know. Have you kept in touch? Yeah, sometimes. Yeah, yeah. Maybe if you had a good game or something like that, he would let you know and say, well done, kid, as he always calls me. But yeah, that was great times and so, so grateful for him. What would you reflect on as the biggest thing you learned from him?

35:40The power of self-belief. Yeah. Because he instilled that in me. He was like, he would sit next to you sometimes in the canteen and he'd be like, you ready? The legs are tired. And I was like, no, no, no. He was like, your legs look like they're tired. And I'd be like, no, no, they're not. They're fine. And he was like, and walk off. So then you're like. Are my legs tired? And then it's just that self-belief that comes at you and you think like, do you know what? I'm going to show him that I'm fresh and I'm ready. I'm ready to play. So he'd just get it out of you.

36:11If you're still overpaying for wireless, it's time to say yes to saying no. At Mint Mobile, their favourite word is no. No contracts, no monthly bills, no overages, no hidden fees, no BS. I made the switch because I was tired of those ridiculous bills and sneaky charges from my old provider. With Mint, I'm paying$15 a month and getting the same high-speed data, unlimited talk and text, and the coverage on the nation's largest 5G network. Honestly, the quality is just as good, if not better, than what I had before. And the best part, you don't need a new phone. You can keep your current one, bring your number, and all your contacts.

36:46I use Mint Mobile, and you should too. Ready to say yes to saying no? Make the switch at mintmobile.com slash HPP. That's mintmobile.com slash HPP. Upfront payment of$45 required, equivalent to$15 a month. Limited time new customer offer for first three months only. Speeds may slow up a 35 gig on unlimited plan. Taxes and fees extra. See Mint Mobile for details. The market's uncertain. Revenue's tied and hiring on hold. That's why results-driven companies are using Upwork to keep work moving. Go to Upwork.com today and start hiring proven freelance talent fast. No bulky overhead. No rigid long-term contracts.

37:26Just the right expert right when you need them. Work smarter and faster with Upwork. Go to Upwork.com now and find your freelance expert. That's U-P-W-O-R-K.com. Post a job for free and get started today. dogs deserve the best and that means fresh healthy food unlike other brands ollie offers five flavors that are as nutritious as they are delicious all made in u.s kitchens without harmful fillers or preservatives head to ollie.com tell them all about your dog and use code happy pup to get 60 off your welcome kit with a bonus you'll get a storage container for a mess-free experience and it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee if your dog doesn't lick the bowl clean

38:11hey everyone it's jake and damien here look sorry to disturb this conversation with scott but we just want to talk to you for one minute about whoop game-changing wearable tech and we've partnered with whoop to offer you a 30-day risk-free trial all you need to do is hit the link in the description to this podcast and you can make 2024 your best year yet whoop measures your fitness, your recovery and your sleep. And best of all, it coaches you through. And we know the importance of getting feedback and consistent behaviors. Whoop helps you get both. And I think that sleep is the underrated golden bullet for high performance.

38:48In fact, Scott talks about it in this episode. And you can experiment with Whoop. You can do lots of different things around your sleep and see how it affects your sleep score. Not only that, once you've signed up, go to the community tab, join the high performance community, and you might just win the chance to join us for a recording of the High Performance Podcast in central London. So sign up now at join.whoop.com forward slash HPP. Right. Let's get back to the conversation with Scott McTominay.

39:20There is something really interesting here, isn't there, about leaders reading people and then doing what they think that person needs. And it almost feels like the senior people in your life have always felt like, I can challenge this guy. and he'll respond. He's not going to buckle. Yeah, it's a good point that. I've actually never properly thought of it like that. So yeah, I would say that that is a good way of looking at it, yeah. And I like being challenged. I'm as competitive as you come with anything and my family and cousins and friends will tell you stuff, stories and stuff like that about maybe being a bit overcompetitive but that's my nature.

39:58I want to win and I'm desperate to win at all costs. Is there ever a time that that steps over into an effect on underperforming, that over-competitiveness? Could be, yeah. There is certain instances where you think like sometimes maybe being a little bit too forceful and being a bit too competitive can sort of detriment you a little bit. But then it's also like for young players coming up, I love it whenever I see the under-16s playing and they're firing into tackles and they're playing like it's the last game of football that ever played because that's what brings the love to the game. Scoring an amazing goal and going and celebrating.

40:36That is what kids want and that's what us first team players we want. We want moments like that where it just sets your body on fire and you just enjoy the game. I think that's the most important thing. Can we have a really honest conversation then about self-doubt? What is your relationship with self-doubt? Everyone has it. It's just how you control that and how you manage that in terms of your craft. It doesn't matter what you do. if you work wherever or if you're in a different sort of job or you're an athlete everyone has that time where they think I might not have been as professional as I could have been there and we've got a game coming up can I still do it?

41:11and that keeps going round in your head thinking can I keep performing at the level that I'm going and that is ultimately what fuels me the self-doubt because you always think every season you come back am I the same athlete? can I still score? can I still potentially make an assist or can we still win trophies and that self-doubt is what drives you and pushes you to do more so how often are you questioning yourself your ability your talent your approach a lot more than what people would more than what people think they'll see some footballers going through an amazing time in their career where they're winning trophies scoring loads of goals and stuff like that they'll still have self-doubt in the brain thinking next game can I do it I've scored a goal against Wolves can I score the next goal that was my first goal in the Premier League and then I was like yeah I'm delighted but can I get another and that self doubt comes in then you start thinking no no if you do everything properly and take it step by step yeah of course I can.

42:07So that reminds me of the interview we did with Dan Carter the New Zealand legendary rugby player and one of the things he said was that the first cap he got for New Zealand was actually he set himself the target of I want 100 of these caps I don't just want to be a one cap wonder so he became like an inveterate note taker where he'd constantly be writing down to-do lists and what he needed to do to become a great all-black player. What do you do to combat the self-doubt and use it as a fuel rather than as a break? I've always had some notes that I've taken. It'll just be taken from little bits of a manager might say this to you or he might relay some information about, right, you've not tracked your runner in this game and I feel like you're not quite yourself.

42:53So I'd always write down and then think, do you know what he's right and then it's always there as a reminder so you never forget stuff like that and then you end up building up a thing throughout your your career and your football of things that are the non-negotiables for yourself like what defines me as a football player and I have to do them every single game what defines you as a football player that you have to do every single game my mentality how I approach the game like if I was ever going into a game and I was a little bit soft and that's not me and I want to be one of the ones who's has the biggest output in the game.

43:24I want to be able to score goals. So they're the things that I'm hoping that in the future can make me more of a, in my own mind, I don't need anyone else's appreciation or approval. It's just more for me. Like they're the non-negotiables that I want to have in my career for the rest of my career. Let's talk then about other people's opinions because I think that's a, it's a really important thing to discuss when we're talking about self-doubt and self-confidence. there was an incident this season where it went all over the socials as these things do and people were questioning the the attitude or the application in that moment what does that do for you is how like is it painful is it inspiring no it's it's hard if someone's questioning that about me i don't like it and i don't want it to happen again whereas if they're saying opinions about other things like oh he's not very good or he doesn't do this or he doesn't do that That's fine, that's all opinions and you can take that with a pinch of salt.

44:24The only people that matter is the manager and your family and your teammates, in my opinion. Whenever you first get into the first team, it's hard for young players because they're going into the spotlight of thousands and millions of people judging them and every single thing they do is on the pitch, is scrutinised and analysed and stuff like that. But there becomes a time where you get normal with it and it's just part and parcel of being a professional footballer at a huge club. You had that incident recently where you played at Fulham and you had the banner saying play like you mean it. And you were asked about it afterwards and you said that we did spot it, we did speak about it in the dressing room.

45:02What was your interpretation of hearing the fans make that sort of caustic remark? They're right, play like you mean it. And that's literally the only thing that you can take from that message is that's what they want to see and that's what we're going to try and do. we're lucky enough to sit down with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when he was in charge at United and we spoke about a concept that we often refer to on the podcast Scott around cultural architects, these are like your leaders in the dressing room that just set the standards and he told us that you were one of his when he first came into the club, somebody that was setting high standards, you were first there last out, you were constantly committed like you've described and I'm interested, how do you maintain that when you're seeing the club signing players in your position so you're seeing Casemiro Bruno, Mason Mount all coming in to compete with you for a midfield slot I'm interested in how you process that and how it affects your training and your preparation They're all amazing players and whenever the club bring amazing football players in like they've done over ever since Magnat has been created you have to show yourself and you have to do your best to show that you're capable of having a spot in the team and it's nothing to do with any of the other players we all want the same goal and that's the team to be successful so whether they bring in anyone really you want the team to do well and obviously you want to be a part of that so for me that's probably part reason why if anyone would ever say like oh he's like he's busy and he likes to work on it it's not because I actually enjoy it I'm not doing it to be busy and I'm not doing it to be the one who's Mr.

46:40Goody Two-Shoes because I'm not it's that's just not who I am people get really misled with that and I just want to be the one who who does it for himself I don't need to prove it to you you or you I want to do it for myself and I don't want anyone else to be questioning what I do and that's it and just as long as I'm ready to play on the weekend that's all that matters to me. See that's a really interesting term about being busy because it's like it often feels like a really horrible insult that you hear within the football world so do you hear that in the background of oh scott's been busy here is no not now like it was more whenever i was in the reserves i had that a lot i had that a lot and i was fine i was just like well you do what you want to do and i'll do what i want to do you don't play in the first team unless you do end up having that obsession of of your craft there's a very obvious moment there that you can either rein it in a little bit to fit in with the group and be popular and not have somebody on your case or you can just decide actually I'm going after my own ambitions here and you're irrelevant what you say is irrelevant but for a lot of young people the desire to fit in to be part of the pack is often more powerful than the desire to stand out so tell us how you learned to do that it's more you don't get it with lads in the first team because they're all at it and they all want to play in the in the team and they're all so close to being like in the first team playing every single game so like you don't really get that it's more the reserves the under 16s and the 14s where you might get lads who are having their self a little bit and giving it the big one like oh you're busy and stuff like it's like well yeah well you be like the way you want to be and i'll be the way i want to be do you know what i mean some lads just take it so way too far in terms of like how laid back i am look how cool i am and stuff like that no one cares like i actually never cared once about stuff like that whenever lads were trying out like that and I always had it in my head my goal is to be in that first team and I want to play and that was it so now that you sit here now 26 yeah 26 yeah why do you think you ended up making it all the way to the first team and staying in the first team at Man United a lot of luck just being honest there was a lot of luck involved like in terms of the way that you get your chance and the opportunity that arose and how you take it as well there was there was fortune in there and then to hopefully stay in the first team for for many years to come is just about your mindset and and the dedication towards what you want to do and what you want to achieve in football and that's been the biggest motivator for me in terms of seeing how well Man City have played over the course of the last five six seven years and and I want my football club to be back to them levels.

49:27I think that's even a really sort of powerful admission that you can look at your biggest closest rivals and be like inspired by that rather than derailed by that to want to be at that level yeah credit to them they've been amazing over the last however many years it's been um and that has to be our sole focus for the trophies that they've won we want that does it hurt as well though watching them yeah lift all the trophies yeah big time but then that's your motivation you recently came on with 10 minutes going against Brentford when you're 1-0 down at home and what's the manager saying to you then that taps into that challenge state to force you so when you came on on that occasion you get two headers in the last minute to win the game Yeah, the manager is so demanding and he's got so many high standards that the whole squad has to apply to which I think is brilliant, I think that's the way that it should be, especially when you're playing for a club like Man United, we all have to act accordingly and be professional in terms of everything that we do.

50:28Give us an example of what those high standards look like. Timings. He's massive on his timings. He's massive on everyone being the same and looking similar in terms of the group track suits. Everyone wears the same clothes and stuff like that. And all them things contribute towards a good team in terms of everyone's... No one's a big ego or no one's got this, that or the other. Everyone's in it together and pushing the right way. Little messages like whenever you do come on against Brentford, go on and show yourself and show why you should be playing and stuff like that, messages that I've always responded to well.

50:59And for me, I just wanted to show him that I can do it. And he's obviously an amazing manager with great tactical dimensions to his game. It's some of the things that he says and how he conducts his meetings are brilliant. And I just want to be a part of that. And what are you thinking as you come on? Because it was a tricky start to the season, right? Not starting as many games as you would like, not being as involved as you would have wanted. And as we've established, you're the kind of guy with this ferocious mindset it like you want to be starting and impacting every single game yeah so what are you thinking as you run on having been through that whenever you're not playing like you can't take it too personally and maybe at points I did where I thought like whatever I'm not playing and so on it is hard it is probably one of the most challenging times in your career but even if you do have times in and out of the team you have to be aware of the group that you're in and other players feel the same and stuff like that it's not just all about me me me and you have to be conscious that everyone wants to play every single game so whenever you are given the opportunity you need to take it and that was literally all that I was thinking about in that moment coming on against Brentford and to be honest with you it goes that fast that you're not thinking anything you just want to win people will come on and say oh yeah I was thinking that I was going to score two goals and run away and everything's rosy it's not like you go on and it's happened so quick that and then it happens and you're happy.

52:25But then you said something really interesting afterwards in your interview. You said, I just want to prove what I can do. I'm thinking, you've been at Man United for 21 years. You still have this feeling of, I want to prove what I can do? Yeah, 100%. It's a self-doubt. You always have to prove yourself at the club because they'll just go and get someone who's better. And you have to prove that hopefully they're not and that you can be the one who helps the team as much as possible moving forwards. So yeah, definitely you have to prove yourself every training session, I would say. I genuinely feel like that, that you have to prove yourself every training session.

53:02If you don't, the opinions might start changing a little bit and then you always have to be there. And what's your role like? Are you loud? Are you vocal? Do you let others take the lead? Yeah. Now me, Tom, Johnny are always cracking up, laughing about something. To be fair, it's 2v1, they're always on me. and I always end up winning but yeah now we've got a good group man in terms of the camaraderie and the jokes and stuff like that I think Johnny Evans actually did an interview the other day or I think it was both of them and they said who's the funniest playing the squad and Tom said Johnny and Johnny said Tom and I was thinking the people watching this are going to be thinking that they're both like the oldies they've got all the jokes and they haven't they're not no as we sit here talking you've played the last few games you're playing brilliantly like you're flying for your country as well like if you're playing in the Man U midfield and they have not brought a midfielder for the last five years and it's kind of like the area of the pitch they've not invested in, then that's one thing.

53:56If you're starting games in an area of the pitch where they've constantly gone and tried to buy the answer and find like a big name, but you're the one being picked, that should surely add to your self-belief, shouldn't it? Yeah. Yeah, you can look at it like, I've never actually thought of it like that either. Do you know what? I'm not really a complex thinker into too much stuff like that. I just enjoy training every day and I never get too caught up in like oh well they've bought him and they've bought him for this much and all the rest of it like that can all be a bit of a mess in your brain so just as long as you know that you keep improving that's ultimately So it comes back to your process as long as your process is right Yeah then what more can you do?

54:38Yeah what more can you do? Because a lot of things in football are completely out of your control the only thing that is in control is how you play Can we talk about the cost then of the life that you live? because on the outside everyone would think the life of a footballer is blessed in every way what is the hidden cost of living a life like this um there is there is obviously challenging components in your life in terms of um the football side of it your family seeing negative things online that is a difficult one but my family are actually quite good with stuff like that to a certain degree but i'm not there all the time when they flick the ipad on or your grandparents turn the iPad on there might be something negative on there so yeah it's not the end of the world and some people will say oh that's such a small problem like what do you say to your mum when she reads something and rings you up just don't read it mum just get the iPad away just get it out of the way you don't need to read it but if they want to read it then and if it's about their own son then fair enough you can't control that but what you can do is you can just say mum they all tell lies that's it they all just they all just tell lies that's it and what about like a social lie and they don't some of the things that might be on there it might be might be true the things that we take for granted i'll go to the pub i'll have a quick pint yeah i'll sit quietly on my own i'll go and have a coffee no one will bother me like how how do you get used to living that life yeah there is a lot that you miss out on which is normal like and i've been so used to it since i was a kid house parties whenever you're 15 16 you can't because you're always training like it might sound daft but you actually always are obviously you have times where you go out and you have your holidays with your friends and stuff like that so you don't miss everything completely but sometimes birthdays and and all the rest of it you can you can miss out on but as you say it's a small thing that is is being missed out on in terms of your football career and there's always other times that you can see people and stuff like that and how's this been talking about things that maybe you wouldn't normally be open to discussing do you know i've loved it i've loved being able to give a different side of like football and young players that's ultimately what I would want to come from this is young players listening to it and thinking do you know what it's not the end of the world if I might not get a professional contract here I'll go and get someone somewhere else because he'll believe me and he'll push me and so on that's probably my main message which which I quite like the thought of the the younger boys thinking do you know what I can do this and no matter what no one's going to stop me and I'm going to go I'm going to do it my own way.

57:08Can I ask you about Scotland. We were lucky enough last year that we spent a couple of hours in the company of Steve Clark and Steve was brilliant at talking to us how he felt the biggest change that he'd implemented as national coach was changing the mentality he said we went from playing not to lose to playing to win and he felt that that was a key moment what's been your experience of that change of mentality when you're wearing the national colours? I cannot speak highly enough of Steve Clarke, first and foremost. There was a time where I went in, and this was around about March time last year, and I didn't realise it, but he called me in to speak to him and all the rest of it, and we were sat down on the sofa like this, and he said, you just don't look happy.

58:00And I was like, really? Because I am. I actually am. And I said this to him, I was like, I actually am. And he was like, nah. I can just see something in you where you might not be as smiley or you might not be as not polite, but as outgoing and speaking to everyone as usual. And I was like, yeah, I'm obviously not happy because I'm not playing. That's probably the one thing that I can think of. And he was like, if you just go back to playing whenever you was 17, 18 years old with a smile on your face when you first got into the first team, not caring the world, waiting to see the difference. And he left it there.

58:33And I was like, I went back and spoke to my dad for a long time about it. because I didn't think that there was much up, and there wasn't, there genuinely wasn't, but now I look back at it, that's the first time in my career where I properly had to not play for a while, and it was difficult, and I spoke to some loved ones and stuff like that, and the next two games I scored four goals, and I feel like I'm more smiling, I've not taken it for granted that I play for Man United in Scotland and just enjoy it. So what did you do after Steve had said that? I went up to my room and I had a real good think, and I was like, I was like, is he right here?

59:09Or is he trying to pull my leg here doing the Jose Mourinho thing where he's trying to test you a little bit? And he wasn't. And he was like, just play with freedom and a smile on your face. And still be aggressive though. Don't be dipping your toe in and stuff like that. And I was like, yeah, he's right. And I sat there and I thought, subconsciously, I'm not happy. And that's not me. I always like to have a laugh and a joke and smile and try and enjoy football. And I wasn't at that stage. and I don't know when he just reminded me of that I was like do you know what there's worse things in life that are happening just enjoy it So let's roll forwards 10 games time let's imagine you're back out the team again how would you react next time around if there's a spell on the sidelines?

59:52The same way the same way you always have to look at it and think this is a process and no matter what happens whether you're playing or you're not playing it's fine and just as long as you keep doing your non-negotiables right that's that's all you can do and is there a difference for you you know like when I was thinking about this you play for United and they're still Goliath in English football everyone wants to beat United yeah but when yeah when you play for Scotland you're the underdog you're David that you want to bloody the nose of some of the big nations that you're coming up against is there a difference in the way that you approach playing for both of those two teams no I would say no I would say in my opinion we're as the players at Scotland we're getting more and more to that stage where we're confident against anyone and granted since we have qualified for the Euros we haven't been as good as what we know we can be and that comes down to Steve Clark again with his standards how he's holding the dressing room at half time the way he's relaying information he's been firm he's not saying oh we've qualified lads get the beers out he's not doing that he's saying we need the standards to be like this every single game and that is ultimately the reason why we can we feel like we can go and play against so-called better nations than us with what other people would say and there was a time where qualifying for a tournament scotland ago there's success we've qualified what now represents success for scotland that was mentioned with all the lads the other day really we want to go to the euros and and do our best to to get out of that group and we want to go and show people that it's not the players aren't happy with with that like that's great like and we're all so proud of each other and all the rest of it but we want to go there and show ourself and and be be better than that we were last time brilliant so can I ask you one last question then about showing yourself I want you to take us into your head that when you're in the tunnel at Old Trafford the place that you've been a part of the family since you were a young lad.

1:01:56You look down, you've got the United badge on your shirt, you can hear 75 ,000 people cheering. Just tell us what's going on for you.

1:02:08Now it would change, because at the start, it was like, oh my God, this is unreal. This is what you've literally dreamed for your whole life, to walk out there. Now it's the same, except more of a, you're concentrated more on the game. I feel like whenever you first come in, you're like taking it all in. You're sat there thinking, and sometimes you might subconsciously be not thinking about the game, whereas now there's so much more tactical elements to the game. There's so much more physical. The league's changed since I made my debut to now five years time. If you looked at the numbers in terms of physical output, it would be drastically different.

1:02:45I'm sure of that. So yeah, I think that's more enjoying it, going out and being like, this is literally you're living a dream, but also you want the crowd to be happy so everyone has to concentrate on the game. Okay quick fire questions the three non-negotiable behaviours that you and the people around you should buy into? Sleep. Yeah how many hours a night? I mean I'm good with seven yeah but if I get nine then I'm fine anywhere between seven and nine and I wear a whoop that is probably one of the best things that I've had in a long time in terms of like helping me and understand sleep more restorative sleep and deep sleep and stuff like that which is has really impacted me over the last two years which has been good um sleep nutrition always just being loving and caring for the loved ones around you I feel like that's probably one of the most important things always being there to listen and stuff like that which is which has helped me a lot and then I would say your manners why does that matter because it's probably one of the most important things that I notice about people whenever I first meet them in terms of how they conduct themselves how they speak to people even people um at the training ground who we see every day doesn't deteriorate with your manners and saying stuff like that love it what's the single best piece of advice you've ever received and why from I would say I'd keep it basic from my dad enjoy the life that you're in son and never take it for granted what advice would you give to a teenage scot the only person that you need to train for is yourself don't act like you're training for anyone else and don't portray that you're something different to what you're not just do it and be yourself and and that's all that matters if you could go back to one moment in your life what would it be and why well these are good ones um i would probably go back to when my nana was alive and she could see all the achievements that i've had to this day my mum's side i'm a granddad and i'm granddad yes man they'd be super proud wouldn't they yeah do you know what we were speaking about that the other day and they have not seen anything which is which is difficult but but I know that they're watching anyway.

1:05:09So for me, that makes me proud. Nice, man. Thank you for sharing that. What's your biggest strength? What's your greatest weakness? My biggest strength, I would say in between the ears, my mind, I would say. And my biggest weakness, my left foot, because I need to be a bit better in my left foot. I always think about that. What about your character? My character. my biggest weakness about my character is the competitive competitiveness if I'm playing against my friends it's not the world cup final it's not the champions league final even if I'm playing small games just take it easy don't have to ruin people's golf games for them and just play normal final question your one golden rule to leave ringing in the ears of the people that have enjoyed this show your one golden rule for living a high performance life it all comes together as a collective it's not just one compartment that creates high performance i would say the collective all comes together for the end goal and it's not just sleep and it's not just nutrition it's it all combined together which these are the messages that we get relayed at football we actually had one today did you it all comes together as as a package you can't just do one not the other it has to be as a unit brilliant look thank you so much for coming on this podcast and having the kind of conversations that people in your position rarely do.

1:06:35It's absolutely clear, like your mindset and your mentality is key for you. I just hope you take that moment where you think, I did it. Like so few people do it. And you've done it. You got there. You play for Man United, mate. And that is the dream of so many people. Congratulations for what you've done so far. Thank you for having me on. It's been a pleasure. Thank you very much. Really appreciate it.

1:07:00Damien. Jake. Well, I think humble is one word to describe Scott, isn't it? Very much so, yeah. Just a lad that isn't high on his own supply, doesn't get too down with the critics, just steady, humble and incredibly self-aware. I love it when he spoke about luck being the reason why he made it into the Man United first team rather than anybody else. And I think, you know, if you wanted to use this podcast to promote yourself, you'd go, oh, hard work, attention to detail, ability to communicate with other people. Like, that's all a given. The rest of the conversation showed us that that's all there for him.

1:07:33The fact that he said luck is a real good reminder that he doesn't have a really high opinion of himself. He remembers the fact that actually you can't get anywhere in life without luck. Yeah, definitely. Do you remember when we had Sia Khaleesi, the double World Cup winning captain on, and he spoke about that preparation meets opportunity and that's what decides high performance. So you've still got to do all the hard work and luck sometimes throws up an opportunity, but you've got to be ready to take it. And that's what Scott was talking about, that idea of going in the gym for two years when he couldn't play football, but he was concentrating on building his physique and his stamina and his fitness so that when he did get that opportunity to go and train with the first team, he was able to compete and hold his own.

1:08:22So luck is going to be there for all of us, but being ready to take that shot is the difference between high performers and those that don't. And it's also a brilliant reminder that going through those tough times as a kid has really been helpful for him. And I think as parents, we try and remove all those obstacles for our kids. You know, anytime there's a problem, we solve it for them, right? So they're happier. But actually, his parents couldn't solve that he was in digs. They couldn't solve that he was short. They couldn't solve that he had a growth spurt and the pain was too much to play.

1:08:50They couldn't solve that Man United kept changing their manager and he had to keep reproving himself time and time again. It's a good reminder that when you don't solve those problems, your kids find their own answers and that's what he's managed to find time and time again the answer yeah there's lots of people that work with youth sport that talk about that that journey home in the car with a parent after a sporting event is probably the most critical time in whether you're going to sustain their love and their passion and their enjoyment for learning the craft or whether you kill any enthusiasm for it by being too strident or heteronious feedback of what you've just seen and I thought But what I've taken away from it as a parent is the lessons from Scott's mum and dad.

1:09:31The fact that it's not the be-all and end-all. As long as you're playing with a smile on your face and you're enjoying the experience, that's winning. Absolutely. What an impressive young guy, and I think he's got so much still to do, hasn't he? Yeah. Again, you see these guys playing, and you forget these are relatively young men taking on an awful lot of responsibility in such a public eye. and to hear somebody like Scott come and speak so candidly about how he handles those pressures was an utter privilege. Yeah, and I just hope that all football fans, but especially Man United fans, just remember that these are people, real people with real thoughts and real emotions and real family behind them.

1:10:13And it's a hard thing to be in the public eye like that. Thanks, mate. Yeah, loved it. Thank you. Well, don't forget, if you want even more from Scott, download the High Performance app where he offers his own unique perspective to young players who dream of making it in the game. It was really good advice, actually. Please subscribe if you can to these podcasts. It makes a massive difference to us. You can watch them on YouTube as well as listen to them right here. But whatever 2024 holds in store for you, I hope that you stick with our podcast. I hope you keep on coming back for more. Thank you for continuing to spread the learnings you're taking from these conversations.

1:10:48Remain humble, curious and empathetic and we'll see you soon.

1:11:15fall is all about cozy comforts but when you're prioritizing your health it's easy to feel like you're missing out. With Hero Bread, you can enjoy all your fall favorites because they're made with Hero Bread sliced bread loaves, tortillas, bagels, dinner rolls, and more. Try their all-new Hero Noodles with 12 grams of protein and just 80 calories. You won't believe Hero Bread's options have 0-5 grams net carbs and are high fiber from the taste and texture. They've even got small batch drops of indulgent favorites like the popular Hero Croissant. And right now, Hero Bread is offering 10 % off your order.

1:11:49Go to Hero.co and use code fall25 at checkout. That's fall25 at hero.co. All figures are per serving of Hero Bread. Contains 2 to 18 grams of fat per serving. See the product nutrition panels on hero.co for more information. Welcome to Omaha, where work and play meet. Where productivity meets the after party. Where downtown convention space and hotels are within walking distance of 90 restaurants, pubs, and unique shops. Where locally made morning lattes meet five o 'clock craft cocktails. And where colleagues meet to explore the waterfront views in our 72-acre downtown urban oasis, and where in 2027, a modern streetcar will take you to even more entertainment options.

1:12:27Go to visitomaha.com slash meetings to learn more. Morning people wake up for peace and quiet. McDonald's breakfast people, we wake up for the sweet rush of getting that warm, delicious breakfast right before it ends. With McValue at McDonald's, Get any size pumpkin spice iced coffee for just 99 cents until 11 a.m. And try our pumpkin and cream pie. They're spiced and priced, so very nice. Price and participation may vary. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Ba-da-ba-ba-ba.