Manchester United star Scott McTominay has hailed the club’s former youth academy coach Warren Joyce as one of the key driving forces behind his breakthrough at Old Trafford, labelling him as the man who “transformed” him as a player.
In what is probably one of the longest interviews McTominayhas ever given in his time as a professional footballer, the Man United central midfielder and Scotland international recently sat down with Jake Humphrey’s High Performance Podcast to shed light on his career so far.
Clarifying that it was his podcast debut, the 26-year-old spoke candidly about his physical struggles with growing as a young player, dealing with the pressure from fans, his relationship with ex-manager Jose Mourinho and more — including the people who helped him become a Premier League footballer.
While he noted several names in United‘s youth academy that he “couldn’t speak highly enough of”, McTominay singled out long-serving coach Warren Joyce who changed everything for him.
As he goes on to detail in the episode, the now first-team starter says that he remembers playing in the youth team for Paul McGuiness (former pro and fellow academy coach) and getting “roasted” by Joyce in front of “everyone” at half-time.
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“I wasn’t even playing that bad” — and his teammates agreed, says Scott — “[but] he just roasted me, he ridiculed me, he said: ‘You play like you won’t ever get nowhere’, something along those lines. A little bit too forceful but at the time it was just a test.”
Once you “move up to Warren Joyce”, McTominay says, “he does that every week. That’s the norm, so he was just preparing you for what’s to come and at the time I didn’t realise that.”
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McTominay went on to describe the Oldham-born academy drill sergeant as just that: “ruthless… running; all the games he would be on the sidelines screaming”. However, he reiterated that the treatment simply gets players ready for men’s football, stressing that “it’s never going to be all sunshine and rainbows when you go out on loan because that’s not football; people are playing for their lives, the mortgages, the kids, their family”.
Put simply, the number 39 said that once it became clear what he was trying to teach he just “bought into every single thing he ever told [him]” from that moment onwards and, even though he was only 16-18 years old, remained at the mercy of his gaffer, no matter the position or the words he used.
🚨🎙️| Scott McTominay: "People always say, 'you played as a striker when you were young'. That's not true. I played two games with Warren Joyce because we didn't have a striker. Every time I score a goal, people say that, but I've never been a striker. I've always been a… pic.twitter.com/yPfJLsY4Qv
Scott McTominay the goalscorer is still a relatively new side of him but a lot of that comes down to Warren Joyce too.
When asked if he thought such a constant and brutal approach was necessary or if there are other ways to go about steering a youth prospect in the right direction, he did concede that it isn’t one size fits all and it sometimes depends on the characters of those people, but he always knew he was trying to help.
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But it wasn’t just grillings and critique that the ex-Bolton centre-mid served up, McTominay revealed that he was a taskmaster in a different way, often telling him to go and target a senior player to “show him who’s the man” — something helped instil an extra level of confidence as he moved up the youth setup.
He even discussed how Joyce would come and drag a player out of the team jacuzzi if he thought they were getting too big for their boots or didn’t train hard enough to have earned the relaxation, adding: “He was brilliant with stuff like that, he would never let anyone get too comfortable.
“He would always say that the thing about the ‘Billionaire’s Club’: those players are in there because they’ve earned it and they’ve grafted their whole life to be like that”.
McTominay went on to declare Joyce “the best person that any young player could go and see in terms of being coached by”, crediting him with “transforming [his] brain” and how he thought about football as a whole.
Strong words indeed and by no means the first to echo them. Club legend Gary Neville told United writer Andy Mitten back in 2017, a few months after he was appointed the first-team manager of Wigan Athletic: “Warren was absolutely brilliant in the very difficult role of reserve-team coach.
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“He was excellent at man-managing individuals who were hovering and drifting between the ages of 19 and 21. They’d be going out on loan, they’d have had a taste of the first team and the buzz of playing for the reserves will have worn off because they want to be playing in front of big crowds for a first team.
“It can be an uncertain time for a player but he motivated them mentally and physically. He maximised the players’ talents, he’d push them like crazy; he’d do extra gym work and join in with the players as if to say, ‘We’re in this together’.
McTominay concluded the section on the youth ranks by stating, “The coaches at United are the best in the world at making young footballers feel like they can do anything and also not getting them too much on their high horse, because they’ll bring you straight back down to Earth and level you straight away”.
He reeled off the likes of former U23 coach, Neil Ryan, fellow academy stalwart, Dave Bushell, and Paul McGuiness as other figures who helped not only nurture talents and keep egos in check around the club, and it’s clear that the discipline trickled down from Joyce and Sir Alex Ferguson above him.
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Joyce remained at the club for another three years after Fergie retired but it’s clear that the same rigorous philosophy he ensured was maintained throughout the academy is still felt by many of the players and staff.
Now in charge of the Nottingham Forest B-team and helping hand academy graduates first-team minutes, we’re sure there’s a whole new generation of players getting the trademark Warren Joyce treatment and hopefully many more Scott McTominays who’ll thank him for it down the line.
Featured Images — High Performance Podcast/Nottingham Forest (via YouTube)
Sport
Manchester United announce record revenue despite on-pitch struggles
Danny Jones
Manchester United have declared a record revenue figure for the full 2025 fiscal term, even with their poor performances on the pitch over the past 12 months.
They may still be a continually struggling Premier League side who seem to be in a perpetual state of transition, but they remain nothing short of a global giant in terms of sporting brands.
Yes, despite Man United recording two of the worst finishes in domestic history in the previous two campaigns and head coach Ruben Amorim having already overseen the worst start to a top-flight season in the modern era following the defeat on derby day, the football club has reached a monetary milestone.
According to their official reports for the fourth and final quarter of the financial year, they brought in a record-breaking £666.5 million throughout 2024/25 – but, as always, it’s more complicated than that.
"There are some tough decisions to be made"
BREAKING: Manchester United have announced record revenues for 2024/25 of £666.5m – but the club still made an overall loss of £33m 🚨 pic.twitter.com/jlQS7SMjJ8
Released on Wednesday, 17 September, Manchester United PLC confirmed that they had managed to record the biggest revenue figures on several fronts despite crashing out of the Europa League, finishing 15th in the table overall and failing to secure a place in any European competition this season.
The first half of Amorim‘s tenure at Old Trafford saw the club’s worst competitive placing since 1973/74, a.k.a. the last time the Red Devils were relegated from the first division.
Nevertheless, a fresh shirt sponsorship agreement with Snapdragon, new brand partnerships with the likes of Coca-Cola, an extension of their contract with travel experience company, SportsBreaks, and numerous other deals saw United achieve a record commercial revenue of £333.3m.
Elsewhere, match revenue was also up and reached new heights, tallying approximately £160.3m in the 12 months leading up to 30 June 2025 – the most they have ever registered when it comes to ticket sales, concessions, and other transactions in and around game days.
Although this number is a reduction of more than 70.8% what they lost last year (£113.2m), there is still plenty of concern among supporters over how money is still not only being spent but moved around.
Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS board did pay sizeable chunks of MUFC’s debt, which has piled up at an alarming rate in the two decades since the Glazer takeover, but there has still been plenty of borrowing.
In addition to a number of shorter-term loans, there has also been an increased level of amortisation and significant transfer spending this summer, despite being admittedly cash-strapped.
As well as actually having less money to play with over the past 12 months, they are also set to receive less in TV rights and broadcasting revenues this season due to not making it into any European competition, hence why they went on a post-season Asian tour to try and make up for funds lost.
It’s estimated that the business earned a further £8 million from these games, but it’s also worth noting that significant sums have been spent not only on new signings but also on severance fees and redundancy packages, so it’s hard to assess how much this extra injection helped with the fine margins.
While it's good to see that we're paying down our long-term debts, I'm a bit worried about how the club have maybe over-leveraged short-term borrowings. Debt restructure needed imo. pic.twitter.com/LQuUdbzK1h
Divisive CEO and former City Football Group exec, Omar Berrada, wrote in the comments section of the full findings and financial report: “As we settle into the 2025/26 season, we are working hard to improve the club in all areas.
“On the field, we are pleased with the additions we have made to our men’s and women’s first team squads over the summer, as we build for the long term. Off the field, we are emerging from a period of structural and leadership change with a refreshed, streamlined organisation equipped to deliver on our sporting and commercial objectives.”
He adds: “We are also investing [in upgrading] our infrastructure, including completion of the £50m redevelopment of our men’s first team building at Carrington, on time and on budget, following prior investment in our women’s team facilities, to create a world-class environment for our players and staff.
“Meanwhile, planning continues to meet our ambition of developing a new stadium at Old Trafford as part of a transformational regeneration of the surrounding community.
Total Manchester United revenue may be up but they’re about to shell out seismic outlay for their new stadium costs.
Berrada signs off by insistig that for the club to have “generated record revenues during such a challenging year for the club demonstrates the resilience which is a hallmark of Manchester United.
“Our commercial business remains strong as we continue to deliver appealing products and experiences for our fans, and best-in-class value to our partners.”
“As we start to feel the benefits of our cost reduction programme, there is significant potential for improved financial performance, which will, in turn, support our overriding priority: success on the pitch.”
What do you make of Manchester United’s 2024/25 annual report and how it fits into the wider picture/struggles elsewhere around the club?
Shakers survive as Bury FC win a tense knockout replay after ineligible player mix-up
Danny Jones
Bury FC have survived a tense close-run replay after being ordered to replay a match following a mix-up which led to an illegible player being fielded in a knockout tie against another local side.
Safe to say that despite coming through unscathed, their supporters have still been left understandably frustrated, not to mention raising further concerns throughout English football.
The Shakers were victorious in their FA Trophy tie against fellow Greater Manchester club Wythenshawe Town FC earlier this month, winning 3-1 on the night – but they had to play them again on Tuesday evening, scraping through by a single goal.
Victory aside, Bury fans have railed against what they now deem a flawed FA system, a player substituted on in the first match despite being technically ineligible to take part. The club have insisted they were unaware of this.
⚪🔵 Reaction following tonight's 2-1 win against Wythenshawe Town.
An honest reflection from Dave McNabb after a complex few days, while we also heard from match winner DJ Pedro.#BuryFC#bfc140
As detailed on social media, new signing and debutant Gavin Massey was brought off the bench in the second half on 6 September as the home team went on to win the game, but his introduction ultimately voided the result.
This is because Massey was retrospectively sent off during his former club, AFC Fylde’s final fixture of last season against Barnet FC, being given a red card after the full-time whistle.
Not only were Bury not clued into this, but it was somewhat unclear as to who was dismissed at the time, with the referee reportedly flashing the card “in the direction of a group of players and staff of AFC Fylde in the changing room area.”
As Bury continued in the lengthy statement released earlier this week, “the FA Portal only allows clubs to see the player registration detail once a player has made their first appearance for the club”, and since he only arrived at Gigg Lane this summer, the incident was missed.
In fact, as they clarify, the portal’s discipline records only “showed one suspension for the game, that of Aiden Walker’s following his dismissal against Stalybridge Celtic in the FA Cup replay in August.”
Once again, given how the system works, Massey’s suspension record was only made visible to the Bury after coming on for his first club appearance. The unfortunate oversight has caused quite the uproar among the fanbase.
Attention is drawn to the way the Combined Counties ended last season and the league cup that became pretty much unplayable. There were problems in other leagues too. Until the FA and County FAs fix this clubs are on a hiding to nothing. Won’t be the last this season.
Reacting online, one fan wrote: “How the hell are you meant to work around this? Once you sign a player, you should be able to see his profile. Not after he’s played his first game.” Another simply labelled the dilemma as “bonkers.”
Following a meeting with The FA on Monday evening, Bury were officially ordered to replay the knockout tie at Ericstan Park last night and, thanks to a late header from DJ Pedro, managed to make it out of the other side with the same result, barring one less goal.
It was reiterated prior to the reluctant replay that “Bury Football Club would like to put on record that no issues with player registrations occurred in this instance, and that usual processes were followed by our administration team in preparation for the FA Trophy tie.”
Nevertheless, the whole palava has raised serious questions surrounding the official FA portal, which looks to be causing plenty of problems up and down the pyramid. You can be sure Bury FC won’t be the only ones forced into an avoidable replay this year.
Danny Jones -
17th January 2024 
