Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay has revealed he needed his heart "shocked" two days before Scotland's opening match of the 2026 World Cup against Haiti last June.
The midfielder underwent a heart procedure in Manchester last September to treat a minor heart rhythm disorder. It first appeared after his arrival in the United States in early June, then continued to affect him in August when he returned to Italy to play for his club.
Scotland, clearly keen to keep McTominay's situation under wraps, said at the time that the 29-year-old had missed training in the build-up to the World Cup due to a stomach complaint.
Speaking at a press conference at Hampden on Tuesday, the former Manchester United player set the record straight: "I had to have my heart shocked two days before the Haiti game."
He played all three of Scotland's matches at the World Cup, but struggled to reach the required level as his side crashed out at the group stage.
"I was 100% fit, but obviously when you're sitting on a hospital bed two days before the first game at a World Cup, about to be put under anaesthetic, that's not the ideal situation, is it?" he told Sky Sports.
"I had prepared well, I was in really good shape, and then something like that happens and you ask yourself, 'How is this happening to me?'"
He was quick to stress it changed nothing. "It's not an excuse by any means, but it's something you have to look at and say: 'Okay, it's part of the process.'"
The aftermath hit him hard. "Obviously, with the way the World Cup went, I spent at least two or three weeks sitting there feeling disappointed, and I wasn't in a good mental state. I needed time to settle and rest."
"After the World Cup, this was perhaps the most disappointing moment I have felt in my professional career," he added.
"I always look at the bright side of things, but this one took a full two weeks to get over," he concluded.
McTominay returned for Napoli at the start of this season. After two games in Serie A, though, he decided surgery was the only option and spent the whole of September on the sidelines following a corrective operation.