Scott McTominay needed police escort for heart procedure 36 hours before Scotland's World Cup opener

Scott McTominay has disclosed that he required a police escort to a Boston hospital to have his heart 'shocked' just 36 hours before Scotland's first World Cup match against Haiti. At the time, his separate travel from the team's base in Charlotte and absence from training were publicly attributed to a stomach bug, but the midfielder was actually dealing with atrial fibrillation.

McTominay explained the decision to keep the true nature of the incident quiet before such a significant fixture. He admitted the situation was far from ideal but felt he had no choice but to accept it.

The Napoli midfielder confirmed he was put under anaesthetic for the procedure, which he acknowledged impacted his athletic performance. Despite this, he insisted he was always going to play against Haiti, partly because his family had made the long journey to watch him.

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McTominay stated that the medical team reassured him it was safe to play and left the final decision to him. He has since undergone an operation called pulsed field ablation after the heart problem resurfaced following an early season Serie A game, which sidelined him for several weeks before his return to the Scotland squad for upcoming Nations League fixtures.