In an interview, Scott McTominay discussed the rigorous gym workouts that Premier League football players undergo. The towering 6ft 3in player has had a successful start to the season with Manchester United, scoring five goals in the Premier League, including two crucial goals in the 2-1 victory over Chelsea in early December.

In 2022, McTominay shared a photo on Instagram, showcasing his well-defined physique while working out late at night before the start of the 2022–23 season. Now, at 27 years old, he revealed how he achieved such a drɑmɑtic transformation, crediting his former Manchester United teammate Paul Pogba for advising him on muscle gain.

Speaking to FourFourTwo, the Scotland international said, “I think people would be surprised to know how hard players work in the gym and the level of intensity you have to maintain to push yourself to achieve those goals.”

“Over the last seven years, my body has changed. I was 70 kg and 6 feet 3 inches tall when I was 17 or 18. Now I’m 85 kg. I had to put in a lot of effort to get stronger. Paul Pogba told me, ‘When you get to 23, you’ll put on the muscle.’ I thought, ‘Where is it then?!’ when it didn’t happen.”

Erik ten Hag may have elevated him in the team’s hierarchy due to his dedicated workouts. McTominay has started 12 of United’s 16 Premier League games this season. Providing some context, he played 24 times for United last season, with the Dutch manager only including him in the starting lineup 10 times. There were talks of him moving to West Ham in the summer to secure more playing time.

McTominay, who received praise for his performance this season, stated, “I’m lucky because I’ve always loved going to the gym. I like small wins, and I’m good at competing in that area. The same goes for what I eat and how much sleep I get. I’m very disciplined, and I’m proud of that.