Scott McTominay's actions in Man Utd training a day after scoring the winner vs Aston Villa speak volumes

Scott McTominay was 'setting the standard' in Manchester United training on Monday morning, just hours after he scored a late winner against Aston Villa.

The 27-year-old, who has not started in the league since December 23, scored his seventh Premier League goal of the season after replacing Marcus Rashford with 17 minutes of normal time remaining.

After a perfectly-weighted cross from Diogo Dalot found its way into the box, McTominay beat Emiliano Martinez with a bullet header to seal a crucial three points in the race for Champions League football.

There is certainly an argument for the midfielder to break into Erik ten Hag's starting XI given his performances of late, but McTominay does not take his role on the bench personally.

"I feel like as long as I'm fit and healthy I can come onto the pitch and perform," he said in Sunday's post-match interview. "I don't take it personally, I just want to come in and try and do the best I can for this. Long may it continue."

The Scot is certainly making a case to start in the coming weeks.

On Monday morning, he was one of the first players to make his way onto the grass at Carrington ahead of a two-hour recovery session, according to the Daily Mail.

In fact, McTominay was 'setting the standard' in a shooting session ran by Benni McCarthy.

"He is an example for many other players," Ten Hag said after the Aston Villa win. "There are not many players who can come from the bench and bring this energy.

"He is ready for every minute, always contributing to the team and football is a team sport - we forget that often. Scott is the example, always giving the spirit."

Ten Hag also spoke about McTominay's contributions in training.

"In the week when he is training, he is doing the right things, working on himself, giving the max. He is ready for one minute, he is ready for 90 minutes. It is great to always have such a player."

Image credit: Getty

Image credit: Getty

Next up for United is a trip to Luton Town on Sunday, February 18.

Topics: Scott Mctominay, Manchester United, Premier League, Erik Ten Hag, Aston Villa, Champions League

Jack Kenmare

Senior Journalist at SPORTbible with a passion for long-form journalism. Almost 10 years’ experience across online and print.

@jackkenmare_