Walking through the streets of Naples, it soon becomes clear why so many tourists feel they have fallen asleep and woken up in downtown Buenos Aires.
In the most deprived areas of the city, entire blocks of flats are painted light blue. Jerseys hang from every corner, with the No 10 emblazoned on the back.
Giant murals are painted all over the walls, depicting the man whose legacy has defined not only a football club, but an entire city.
A city that lives and breathes football on the most fanatical level, Neapolitans don’t worship a higher being. They worship Diego Armando Maradona. In these parts, Maradona is God.
Maradona’s exploits in Naples are, of course, the stuff of legend. Rarely can one player have exerted such an influence over a team as when he led Napoli to two Scudettos in 1987 and 1990.
Napoli are a club where cult heroes are idolised. Even in the days since Maradona, there have been several players who gained iconic status.
McTominay scored his fourth goal of the season as Napoli move four points clear at the top
The midfielder lets rip with an effort from the edge of the box in the 31st minute
The super Scot roars his delight at full-time after his goal proved the difference against Torino
Back in 2013, Dries Mertens was signed to little fanfare from PSV Eindhoven. After nine seasons and 148 goals, the little Belgian forward left as Napoli’s all-time leading scorer.
With his unmistakable mohawk haircut, Slovakian midfielder Marek Hamsik also spent 12 seasons in Naples and scored well over 100 goals. Another who was worshipped by supporters.
Scott McTominay hasn’t quite reached those same levels of adulation just yet, but the Scotland midfielder is rapidly emerging as Napoli’s new cult hero.
McTominay scored the only goal of the game at the weekend as Antonio Conte’s side beat Torino 1-0 to maintain their position at the top of Serie A.
The Scotland midfielder also scored at the San Siro last month as Napoli claimed a valuable 1-1 draw away against reigning champions Inter Milan.
All in all, he has four goals and two assists in 12 matches for Napoli so far this season. A £30million acquisition from Manchester United in the summer, he looks to be a smart bit of business.
There are already suggestions in Italy that McTominay could well be the signing of the season in Serie A as Conte’s side continue to fly high at the top of the league.
Speaking after the win over Torino at the weekend, McTominay said: ‘I’ve scored two important goals in the last three games, but the whole team deserves credit.
McTominay celebrates a goal against Como in spectacular fashion earlier this season
‘We’re improving and we’ve got to keep this up. The great results we’re getting is proof that we’re working well.’
After taking charge in the summer, Conte has quickly whipped Napoli into shape. Their credentials as title contenders are now undeniable.
Renowned for his preference of playing with three at the back, Conte has changed his system to a 4-3-3 this season.
The arrival of McTominay has been key to this tweak. The preferred midfield has been three from the quartet of McTominay, Stanislav Lobotka, Frank Anguissa and Billy Gilmour.
Given the freedom to bomb forward and score goals, McTominay is emerging as the dynamic box-to-box midfielder Scotland supporters have seen over these past couple of years.
His form has also made plenty of Manchester United fans rue the club’s decision to move him on back in the summer after he had fallen out of favour with the now sacked Erik ten Hag.
Maradona is treated like a god in Naples, and many cult heroes since have also felt the love
For Conte, he sees a player who has gone from operating in the shadows at Old Trafford to now becoming Napoli’s main man.
Speaking at the weekend, Conte said: ‘We quietly signed McTominay. The club and sporting director Giovanni Manna did a great job at understanding what he could bring to Napoli.
‘But the same goes for every new recruit. We’re a team that’s on the up and the growth of a team happens through the steps each individual player must take every week.
‘It is inevitable, though, that if they ask me to reinforce the squad, I try to pick the best players. We did well with Scott because he was not a starter at Manchester United, but I already knew him very well and we worked under the radar to bring him here.
‘Of course, everyone is eager to prove themselves and I am glad that we got it right choosing McTominay.
McTominay even managed to impress supporters with his grasp of Italian after the match
‘I have a group of guys who really understand when I ask them to improve. This is the aspect I like the most, beyond the result and the standings. We are growing as individuals and as a team.
‘Scott could have seen Napoli as a demotion after being at a club like Manchester United. But it’s not like that. Instead, he came here to be a protagonist.’
There are no murals of McTominay just yet. But his emergence as a new cult hero in Naples is growing stronger by the week.
If he can lead the club to the Scudetto, he would elevate himself to a whole new level. One which would see him rubbing shoulders with God himself.