Scott McTominay reveals he had heart treatment before Scotland's World Cup opener

Scott McTominay has opened up about a health scare that few people knew about during Scotland's World Cup campaign. The midfielder says he had treatment on his heart just two days before the team's first match.

What happened?

McTominay, 29, says he needed to have his heart "shocked" to correct an irregular heartbeat. He was put to sleep for the treatment, which came two days before Scotland faced Haiti in June.

"You've prepared so well. I was in such good condition and then something like that happens," he said. "You're thinking, 'how is this happening to me?'"

He was given the all-clear and started the 1-0 win over Haiti in Massachusetts. He then played 90 minutes in the defeats to Morocco and Brazil.

The procedure in Manchester

More recently, the Napoli player had an ablation in Manchester. That is a minimally invasive operation that corrects irregular heart rhythms.

As a result, he missed Scotland's first four Nations League games this autumn: one win, one draw and two defeats. He has now returned to action for Napoli in Serie A and the Champions League, and has been recalled by Scotland.

He praised his club and the medical staff who treated him. "I'm feeling much, much better than what I was," he said. "I feel like it was something that needed to be done."

He also tried to calm any worry. News of a heart issue can look worse than it is, he explained, and the procedure was "relatively straightforward" and went "really, really well".

What's next?

Scotland, managed by Sebastien Pocognoli, host North Macedonia on Friday. They then travel to Switzerland on Monday.

McTominay says playing football again is the most important thing in his life. "For me, it's always about coming back stronger," he said.