Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay revealed he had to have his heart shocked just two days before playing in his country’s World Cup opener against Haiti.
McTominay was said to have missed training in the lead-up to the 1-0 victory over Haiti in Massachusetts due to a stomach complaint.
But, speaking at a press conference in Glasgow on Tuesday ahead of his return to the Scotland side, the 29-year-old said: “I had to go and get the shock on my heart two days before the Haiti game.”
McTominay played in all three of Scotland’s matches at the World Cup, but was below his best as they exited at the group stage after losing to Morocco and Brazil.
“You’ve prepared so well, I was in such good condition and then something like that happens and you’re thinking, ‘How is this happening to me?’ It’s nowhere near an excuse, but it’s something that you have to look back on and say, ‘Well, it’s part of the process’.”
McTominay returned to action with Napoli at the start of this season. But after playing their first two Italian Serie A matches, he spent September on the sidelines after undergoing a cardiac ablation procedure to treat a mild, benign heart arrhythmia.
So he missed Scotland’s first four matches under new boss Sebastien Pocognoli.
He is back with the national team for the Nations League ties against North Macedonia and Switzerland over the coming week. "I'm good. I'm feeling much, much better than what I was," he said. "I feel like it was something that needed to be done ... it was a relatively straightforward procedure which went really well."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
