Former Manchester United Forward Berbatov Sees Young Midfielder As Old Trafford Side’s Future Captain

Former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has tipped Scott McTominay to be the club’s future captain.

McTominay recently signed a new five-year deal with Man Utd that would see him remain at Old Trafford until 2025 and will be offered a choice to extend it further for a year.

With the 23-year-old midfielder committing his future to the Red Devils, Berbatov has asked the youngster to justify the faith the team has shown in him and move his game to the next level.

The Scotland national player made his first-team debut when he played for Man Utd in 2017. With five goals in 29 matches, across all competitions, the midfielder is currently enjoying his best season as a Red Devils player and has become a regular starter of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team.

“I think it is a perfect time to extend Scott McTominay's contract. I think he is developing in the right way, playing regularly and I hope they give him more time. It certainly shows that United have faith in him as a player and the club is making a statement that they are going to depend on him in the future."

"He's still young and in his early 20s, so for him to see that the club is trusting him and rewarding him with a contract extension is a great day for him to celebrate. He now needs to put those celebrations aside and prove why the club have given him an extension, he needs to be even better than before, and he needs to put even more effort into his game,” Berbatov told Betfair.

Former forward Berbatov, who played for Man Utd between 2008 and 2012, has also lauded McTominay for the way he moves around the pitch and his eagerness of always getting the ball.

"He is at the stage where he is now comfortable in his position and the way he plays football. In the beginning, he needed some game time to get used to everything but now he is fully integrated into the team at such an early age, which is great because he now has more time to play, enjoy his football and make a name for himself as a player,” said Berbatov before adding that he sees McTominay as the club’s future captain.

The 39-year-old Bulgarian, who netted 56 goals in 141 Man Utd appearances, has also mentioned that McTominay is surrounded by great players and that will certainly help him in developing into a better player.

“With his physique and the way he plays football, he looks like a future captain and leader of Manchester United to me. Now, the most important thing isn't to relax because he has a new deal, it is the opposite, he needs to play and work even harder."

"He is in the right place to develop, he is surrounded by great players and the coach believes in him. How good he turns out to only depend on him and how ambitious he is to be one of the best,” added Berbatov.