Scottish Footballers Thrive in Serie A
Excitement filled the Scotland camp when the Serie A fixtures were announced in June, revealing that Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour of Napoli would kick off the season against Josh Doig's newly promoted Sassuolo.
Doig, who was set to make his international debut later that week, expressed his enthusiasm about facing Gilmour, a childhood rival from youth football, along with McTominay, who returns as the league's player of the season and a Ballon d'Or nominee.
“It’s just incredible,” said the 23-year-old left-back Doig, who played a key role in Sassuolo's return to Serie A under Italian World Cup winner Fabio Grosso. “Scott had an unbelievable season; he is like a god now, and he deserves it because he is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet in football.”
“I followed most of their games last season. I always take an interest in any Scottish player in Italy because we are all in it together.”
The Scottish presence in Serie A is growing, with six players from June's international squad set to compete in the league this season, including Che Adams at Torino, Lewis Ferguson at Bologna, and 18-year-old Lennon Miller, who has joined Udinese from Motherwell.
Trailblazer Liam Henderson is currently at second-tier Sampdoria, marking his sixth club in Italy. Henderson made history in 2018 by becoming the first Scot to play in Italy since Graeme Souness left Sampdoria in 1986. Aaron Hickey then became the first Scot to score in Serie A in 35 years when he netted for Bologna in September 2021.
Doig is about to embark on his fourth season in Italy after leaving Hibernian for Verona at the age of 19 and joining Sassuolo in January of the previous year. “Italy is one of the most beautiful countries in the world,” Doig noted. “The food, the holiday spots—it has everything. The lifestyle is incredible, and I cherish every moment.”
“However, football-wise, it is a tough league. You really need to work hard; it is expected of you. The Italians are known for their defensive work rate and strong backlines, and the Scottish are all workers—that’s in our DNA.”
While Doig has enjoyed the cultural experiences in Verona and Modena, and Ferguson and Hickey have savored the culinary delights of Bologna, few cities can match the intensity and chaos of Naples.
Gilmour and McTominay quickly discovered this when they joined Antonio Conte’s Napoli from Brighton and Manchester United, respectively, in the summer of 2024. “I saw the passionate fans, the coach, the players, and an opportunity,” McTominay told BBC Scotland in December. “I love this place, I love the fans, and I love my teammates.”
By the end of the season, McTominay had scored 12 goals, helping Napoli secure the Scudetto, and his image was painted on walls in the Quartieri Spagnoli, with fans even tattooing his 'McFratm' nickname on their skin.
He has since entered the ranks of Partenopei legends, alongside Argentine icon Diego Maradona. Speaking at Wimbledon in July, the 28-year-old remarked, “The people in Naples are incredible; they are so passionate. Everywhere you go, people say ‘Forza Napoli.’ They want to engage with you, and that inspires you every time you step onto the pitch.”
“It’s a completely different way of life—the way you eat, the way you live. It builds mental strength.”
The late Denis Law once remarked, “Everything was great about Italy, bar the football,” after making a British-record transfer to Torino in 1961. He spent the season alongside Scotland-raised England international Joe Baker during an era dominated by Italy's ultra-defensive catenaccio system.
Joe Jordan, known as 'The Shark' by the Italian media, followed in 1981 by joining AC Milan and then Verona, while Souness won the Coppa Italia in 1985 during his first of two seasons with Sampdoria. However, it took 32 years before another Scot made the switch, with Henderson joining Serie B side Bari from Celtic and becoming the first to move directly from a Scottish club.
Henderson may have been an anomaly at the time, but he provided Italian fans with a glimpse of the Scottish game. “Their mentality is that they are hungry players, committed both on and off the pitch. They are incredibly professional,” explained Francesco Strozzi, a former scout at Bologna who signed Ferguson and Hickey and now works for Torino.
“On the pitch, there is a trend towards more physical football. We’re talking about making runs for the team and excelling in both attacking and defending—especially for midfielders. Fans have begun to recognize this intensity, physicality, and hunger for results.”
Strozzi noted that a significant shift occurred during the Covid pandemic. Bologna had already been exploring the Scottish market, but lockdowns forced clubs to rely more on video and data analysis, broadening their recruitment pool. They found value in Scotland, where young players were gaining first-team experience and even participating in European competitions.
“Scottish football isn’t just about Celtic and Rangers,” Strozzi added. At just 18, Hickey joined Bologna from Hearts for £1.5 million in 2020, making 48 appearances over two seasons before being sold to Brentford for £17 million. Ferguson followed from Aberdeen in 2022 for £3 million and has since captained Bologna to their first Coppa Italia triumph in over 50 years, led them into the Champions League for the first time, and was named the best midfielder in Italy.
“Ferguson is an incredible player, a true captain,” said Strozzi. “He provided Bologna with what was missing in their midfield—someone who gives 100% for the team, makes crucial runs, scores important goals, and is also a defensive presence on the pitch.”
“Of course, McTominay’s move to Napoli amplified this. While Ferguson was relatively unknown to mainstream fans in Italy, McTominay was already in the spotlight coming from Manchester United.”
Doig believes this trend bodes well for the national team, as Scottish players are finding pathways not only to Italy but all over Europe. In their last international camp, he noted discussions about “completely different experiences all over the world.”
“This is incredibly interesting for Scottish football,” Doig added. “There are boys everywhere now, which is beneficial for our culture. When I was younger, the goal was often to move down to England. But when Verona showed interest, I thought, ‘This is unbelievable.’ I was terrified, being so young, but it turned out to be the best decision I could have made.”