Original Coverage & Source Attribution: sportingintelligence832.substack.com
Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay revealed yesterday (Tuesday) he had an emergency heart procedure in the USA two days before he played in Scotland’s World Cup opener against Haiti near Boston on 13 June, a match that ended in a 1-0 win to Scotland.
The 29-year-old former Manchester United star (below), who has been with Napoli of Serie A since 2024, had a procedure known as “cardioversion”, where, under general anaesthetic, the heart is given an electrical shock to correct an irregular rhythm.
“I had to go and get the shock on my heart,” he said, as reported by the BBC and others. “It was two days before the Haiti game. You’ve prepared so well. I was in such good condition and then something like that happens. You’re thinking, ‘How is this happening to me?’
“You have to get on with it, that’s the cards that you’re dealt in football. Sometimes, things don’t go your way.
“I was 100% [fit], but obviously, whenever you’re sat in a hospital bed two days before the first game of the World Cup about to get put to sleep, it’s not ideal, is it?”
I find this case simultaneously surprising and reassuring. Why? Because I had cardioversion in June of last year having been diagnosed with atrial flutter, a common abnormal heart rhythm.
In my case, the flutter was a typical side effect in patients who have had major open heart surgery. I’d had endocarditis in 2022, and it destroyed my aortic valve. I spent much of that summer in hospital and had my valve replaced with an artificial mechanical valve. Which is why I now tick like a clock, but that’s another story.
I recovered quickly. Thankfully I was otherwise fit and well and within two weeks of getting out of hospital I was back to my usual 50 miles per week of walking / hiking.
But the common flutter side effect was then spotted at a routine check-up in 2025 and cardioversion was prescribed, which is why on 27 June last year I went into hospital for the day.
It’s generally safe and mostly successful, and takes only minutes, but crucially it does require a general anaesthetic. My procedure went well and I went home the same evening. And while I’m 20 years+ older than McTominay, I still find it remarkable that he was playing a World Cup match two days later.
I was told upon discharge that I should carry on as normal but take it easy for a couple of days.
Not for a second am I suggesting that the Scotland camp did anything wrong in letting McTominay play so quickly. Yes, they originally covered up his hospital stay by attributing his absence to a “stomach complaint.” But that’s the game.
The player then had a further ablation procedure after the World Cup to correct his “mild benign arrhythmia” permanently. He has since successfully returned to the pitch for Napoli and is looking forward to this month’s Nations League fixtures. Sebastien Pocognoli’s side host North Macedonia on Friday and visit Switzerland on Monday.
My takeaway? Maybe one day I can win my first international cap after all. The only reason I’ve never played international football so far in my life? I wasn’t good enough.
As for McTominay’s spirits now? “Yeah, I’m good,” he said yesterday. “I’m feeling much, much better than what I was. I feel like it was something that needed to be done. In your career, you have moments like that where things can take you a bit by surprise.”
Don’t we all?
