Scott McTominay looked every inch Serie A royalty alongside his girlfriend Cam Reading as he was crowned Player of the Season at a glamourous ceremony in Milan.
McTominay, who is worshipped in Naples after spearheading their Scudetto-winning campaign last term, joined the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Kaka and Andrea Pirlo in scooping the prestigious prize.
He is the first Scot to be given the honour and has taken his career to another level since leaving Man United for £25million last year.
McTominay wore a tailored dinner suit for the ceremony, while his model girlfriend on posed for photos on his arm in a black dress.
After stage sparklers erupted around him and the room was filled with applause for his achievement, McTominay paid tribute to the connection he has with his adopted home.
‘It’s sensational, it’s incredible to be here and win this award. Thank you to everyone, the team, the staff, and my teammates. My bond with Napoli is special, there are so many special places here.’
‘Coming to Napoli was an easy choice, I came to the right place.’
Cala del Calcio awards is one of the biggest nights on the Italian football calendar and he was joined on stage by other award winners, dominated by Napoli and Inter Milan players.
Inter striker Francesco Pio Esposito was named Italian Golden Boy, while Conte picked up the award for best coach.
McTominay, 28, arrived in southern Italy without a huge amount of expectation but has been transformed from a workmanlike midfielder into a goal-scoring sensation.
He scored 12 goals and laid on six assists last season, pushing Napoli to the title.
The Italian press gushed over him. ‘The new leader of Napoli,’ he has been called. ‘Idol of the fans, loved by his team-mates,’ wrote Gazzetta dello Sport.
Fans also adore the Scot, who registered 255 appearances for United whilst finding the net 29 times before moving to pastures new.
But even McTominay himself could not have dreamt of a better transition having gone from under-appreciated squad man to Serie A king.
Everything he touches is turning to goals at the moment, netting an incredible bicycle kick in the dramatic win over Denmark to seal Scotland’s World Cup qualification last month.
No doubt one of the keys behind McTominay’s remarkable late-career rise has been the ease with which he and his partner have settled in the coastal city where average summer temperatures sizzle to 31 degrees and the centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Last year the pair enjoyed a canape and looked across the Amalfi coast in a picture shared by Reading, who declared on Instagram that they had ‘fallen in love with Italy’.
McTominay is not resting on his laurels and has already scored five goals, putting on two assists this season.
Conte’s side are joint-top with Milan in a title race with that looks set to be one of the most competitive in recent years, as Roma and Inter sit just one point back.
Napoli fans will hope their new talisman can again prove to be the difference and carry them to a title defence in the months ahead.
