Manchester United face a painful journey back home from Gdansk, after losing the Europa League final.
This was the first trophy and first final that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had within his reach in his three-year tenure at the club and undoubtedly, his team were the favourites to win the competition.
However the night didn’t go as well as it should have. Many players were thought to have not given their all, and Solskjaer made some judgement errors in the substitutions - the first being within the 100th minute.
Regardless of their defeat, there was definitely one shining light at the end of their dark tunnel: Scott McTominay.
The 24-year-old stepped up to the occasion and played with energy, agility, and resilience against the opposition.
Within the 90 minutes he played, McTominay unknowingly assisted Edinson Cavani’s close range strike – after winning the corner which led to the goal - and made three successful tackles and five effective take-ons.
The Scotland International was a leader on the pitch and was shown to be more efficient and valuable than his fellow help in Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba.
Former Premier League star, Gary Lineker shared his thoughts on the midfielder, he said: "Scott McTominay has been absolutely superb."
Being only 24, McTominay has already showed Solskjaer that he can be a dominant force on the pitch, and he demonstrated that in his ability to carry defensive responsibility as well as allow Pogba to go forward and create chances, leaving only himself in charge of shielding his back four.
His desire to win and succeed was prominent in the game and his superb passes and tackles allowed the young players, such as Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford, to use their pace effectively against Villarreal’s defenders.
Solskjaer hailed Scott's performance and called him arguably "the best player on the pitch."
He was substituted before the penalty shootout with an 87% pass accuracy before David De Gea had his spot kick saved, handing the trophy to Villarreal.
Should McTominay be United's next captain? Comment below
For a lad who was once told that he was ‘too small, too slow, and can’t jump’, McTominay has sure come leaps and bounds to prove his doubters wrong. He may even become United's captain one day.
Standing at 6ft 3in tall, McTominay is a force to be reckoned with, in the air or on the ground. The question is can he remain at these high standards for every match?
Regardless of his individual performance, it simply wasn't enough for United to win the Europa League.
They were outcoached and outwitted by Unai Emery's side and what this does prove, is the need for Solskjaer to rebuild his squad this summer.
And if that is the case it could be the Norwegian lifting a silverware trophy rather than handing it over to the other side.
