For all his laser-guided focus, Scott McTominay must have daydreamed about the scenes that could unfold in Naples this weekend.

On his return to the city from a 0-0 draw in Parma last weekend, the Scot’s car was encircled by an armada of horn-tooting scooters shortly after thousands of adoring fans had greeted the team with flags and flares.

If that was what met the new hero of Naples after a result that nearly derailed the club’s title bid, you can only imagine the adulation he will receive should they clinch the Serie A title at home to Cagliari on Friday evening.

In the last nine months, McTominay mania has swept around the bay of Naples like a sea storm.

One fan tattooed his leg with the midfielder’s nickame ‘McFratm’ – a play on words in Neapolitan dialect meaning ‘McBro’ – while Italian journalists hailed him as a ‘man of destiny’ and ‘total footballer’ after single-handedly dragging a tiring, nervous team towards the finish line in recent weeks.

Scott McTominay has become the star man at Napoli since his move from Manchester United

The Scot’s goals and assists have put the Italian club on brink of the Serie A title

McTominay’s face adorns a shrine in the football-mad city of Naples

There is little argument that should Napoli wrap up their fourth Scudetto by winning on Friday evening, or matching Inter’s result at Como, McTominay will be seen as a driving force.

His 11 goals and six assists are a joint-record number for a midfielder in a debut Serie A season this century. Two more than Kaka managed, in fact.

McTominay has thrived under head coach Antonio Conte, who has encouraged the 28-year-old to get into the final third from midfield where his game-breaking ability shines through.

The former Manchester United star scored five of Napoli’s six goals in a run of three straight wins in April, before setting up both goals in a 2-2 draw with Genoa. He hasn’t just scored goals, but crucial goals, with seven of his strikes unlocking goalless games.

Now judgment day awaits. Unlike two years ago, when Luciano Spalletti’s Napoli blew away the competition to clinch the club’s first title since Maradona was in his pomp with five games to spare, this is going down to the wire.

Napoli are a point ahead. If they lose and Inter draw, we’ll be looking at the first Scudetto playoff since the 1960s and only the second ever. As season finales go, it would be as good as it gets.

Neapolitan nerves have already been tested in the last two weeks. The team were held to back-to-back draws against Genoa and Parma that could have cost them dearly.

Thankfully for them, it didn’t. Last Sunday, Lazio’s veteran winger Pedro equalised twice to peg Inter back for a 2-2 draw. He become an unlikely Neapolitan hero for the night as pictures of the Spaniard mocked up as a saint were posted around the city.

Scotland international McTominay scores a spectacular header against Monza

This flag shows that Scott McTominay has become something of a saint in his adopted city

McTominay’s fellow Scot, Billy Gilmour, above left, has also played major part in title bid

That penultimate round was a true rollercoaster, with no end of twists and turns taking place over 90 minutes, including red cards for both Conte and Inter boss Simone Inzaghi, who will now be suspended for the final day.

To say tickets for Napoli’s final game are in demand would be like saying Maradona had a half-decent left foot. Half a million requests were made, enough to sell out the Stadio Maradona 10 times over.

Preparations are under way for another city-wide party, with giant screens being erected throughout the city to broadcast the game and an open-top bus parade planned.

Now it’s down to the players. ‘We have the bone in our mouth, and we must not let go of it,’ said Conte, who described a potential Scudetto as ‘historic and unimaginable’. He expected his debut campaign to be transitional after last season’s embarrassing title defence ended with a 10th-place finish and no European football.

Star striker Victor Osimhen left for Galatasaray in acrimonious circumstances last summer before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was sold to Paris Saint Germain in January and wasn’t replaced.

Absence from Europe proved to be a blessing in disguise, with Conte insisting: ‘We would not have been able to do this if we had played every three days’ due to a lack of depth in his squad.

Napoli still invested fairly heavily last summer, signing Romelu Lukaku, Alessandro Buongiorno and David Neres for sizeable fees, not to mention the Scottish midfield duo of McTominay and Billy Gilmour.

A title bid still seemed a stretch, even for a coach on the verge of becoming the first man to win Serie A with three different clubs (after Juventus and Inter) and for a 10th time as player and coach.

McTominay’s dominance in midfield has proved vital for Antonio Conte’s team

McTominay admires the statue of another Napoli hero, the late Diego Maradona

It’s another goal for the prolific McTominay as he celebrates putting Como to the sword

Conte’s success has been built on a collective effort. The Napoli of 2024-25 have not been nearly as enterprising as the entertainers of two years ago, but they have been ruthlessly efficient, their defence making up for an attack that only ranks joint-fifth for goals.

The coach has made no secret of how tough he has found this season.

‘(The title) would repay me for everything I have put into this year. I have gone beyond my limits,’ said Conte.

What has seemed ‘unimaginable’ to Conte is now within touching distance. A fourth Scudetto for this football-mad city would write McTominay and Conte’s names into club folklore.

But not only them, of course.

Gilmour has played his part, too. The playmaker may not have made the same impact as his compatriot, but his contribution in the second half of the season has been key to Napoli maintaining their hot start. When Conte needed his reinforcements to step up in the last few months, the likes of Gilmour and Giacomo Raspadori did just that.

There is little doubt, though, that McTominay will be the focal point of what are sure to be lengthy celebrations should Napoli complete the job.

It would also put an exclamation mark at the end of an extraordinary story of success for Italy’s ever-growing Scottish contingent this season.

Lewis Ferguson captained Bologna to their first trophy in 51 years in the Coppa Italia, Che Adams hit double figures at Torino, Liam Henderson became an Empoli centurion and Josh Doig won the Serie B title with Sassuolo.

Now it’s down to McTominay and Gilmour to capture the biggest prize of all and achieve Neapolitan immortality.