McTominay: I never doubted I would return after heart operation

Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay has revealed he underwent surgery for atrial fibrillation just two days before playing his first match at the World Cup, but says he never doubted he would return to football.

“Atrial fibrillation is a relatively common condition among people, and some may not realise they have it,” the Scotland international told The Guardian. “But when you are a professional athlete, whether in football or another sport, you notice every difference in your body.”

McTominay said he became aware of an irregularity while running and checking his pulse.

“When you are running and checking your heart rate, and you notice a slight irregularity, it feels as if your heart is about to come out of your chest,” he said. “It does not actually reach that point, of course, but that is the sensation. Your heart is beating, but not in a regular rhythm.”

The midfielder said the issue did not cause him to question whether he would be able to resume his career.

“I went into the operation without a doubt in my mind that I would return,” he said.

The procedure required McTominay to be put under anaesthetic, with an electrical electrode placed on his chest. He lost between 3kg and 4kg of muscle after leaving hospital, meaning he had to rebuild his strength quickly.

“I lost some muscle mass after I came out of hospital, between 3kg and 4kg, which was not ideal, but I had to regain it quickly,” he said.

“In the first picture of me after returning, my body looked fairly thin. I had to recover the muscle mass so I could regain my running strength and what I usually contribute on the pitch.”

McTominay also said he had been aware that people were discussing his performances, although he had chosen not to let the criticism affect him.

“I did not know people were talking about it, although perhaps I expected it,” he said. “I have been criticised millions of times during my career, but I do not allow it to affect me or spend too much time thinking about it.”

He added: “As a professional player, you know yourself when you are not performing at the level you should be. I had some idea of what was happening, but you try to ignore the negative things because thinking about them can make them happen.”

The recovery period gave McTominay time to reassess his priorities. He spent three weeks at home after the operation and watched less football than usual.

“It was a good period for me to reset things,” he said. “However long it took, even if I had to wait until I was 40, I would have returned and tried to give my best.”

He added: “I watch matches almost every night, whether it is the Champions League, Europa League, Scottish, English or Italian football. Those three weeks were more about a mental rest, so I could return in a better condition.”

McTominay has played 11 matches for Napoli since the start of the current season and has scored five goals.