McTominay says he needed emergency heart treatment two days before Scotland’s World Cup opener

Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay has revealed that he needed emergency heart treatment two days before his side's opening World Cup match against Haiti in June.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, reported by Goal and Punch, the 29-year-old said the squad had travelled from their training camp in Charlotte to Boston when he was taken from the airport to a local medical facility under police escort. The public had been told he had a minor illness, but the problem was a cardiac issue, and the details were kept quiet so the team's preparations were not disturbed.

McTominay said he had to have what is known as a heart shock, or cardioversion, a procedure used to restore a normal heart rhythm when the heart beats irregularly or too fast. It involves general anaesthesia. "I had to go and get the shock on my heart," he said. "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?'"

He said: "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?"

McTominay returned to the pitch almost at once. He started the game against Haiti two days after the procedure and played every minute of Scotland's group-stage campaign, Goal reported, although Scotland were knocked out before the knockout rounds.

After the World Cup he sought a lasting solution to the problem. According to Goal, he had corrective surgery early in the current club season with Napoli, which meant he missed Scotland's first four Nations League fixtures. The procedure appears to have worked, and he is back in the squad for the upcoming double-header against North Macedonia and Switzerland.

McTominay, a former Manchester United player, said he is now focused on moving past the scare that shaped his summer. His return, Goal said, is a significant boost for Steve Clarke's team as they head into a demanding run of international fixtures.