'In our DNA' - how the Scots took over Italian football

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Phones buzzed and wry smiles broadened inside the Scotland camp as the Serie A fixtures dropped in June - Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour of Italian champions Napoli would open the season at Josh Doig's newly promoted Sassuolo.

Doig, who would make his international debut later that week, beamed at the thought of facing Gilmour - someone he grew up playing youth football against - as well as McTominay, a man who returns not just as the league's player of the season, but a Ballon d'Or nominee and Neapolitan hero.

"It's just mad," says 23-year-old left back Doig, who helped Sassuolo return to the top flight at the first time of asking under Italian World Cup winner Fabio Grosso.

"Scott did unbelievable last season, he is like a god now and he deserves it because he is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet in football.

"I watched most of their games last season. Any Scottish guy in Italy I will always take an interest in, because we are all in it together."

That Scottish contingent is only growing - six of June's international squad will play in Serie A this season, with Che Adams at Torino, Lewis Ferguson at Bologna and 18-year-old midfielder Lennon Miller joining Udinese from Motherwell.

Trailblazer Liam Henderson, meanwhile, is at second-tier Sampdoria, his sixth Italian club.

The midfielder arrived at Bari in 2018 as the first Scot to play in Italy since Graeme Souness left Sampdoria in 1986. Aaron Hickey, now at Brentford, then became the first to score in Serie A in 35 years when he netted for Bologna in September 2021.

Doig, meanwhile, is about to begin his fourth season in Italy after leaving Hibernian for Verona aged 19, before joining Sassuolo in January last year.

"Italy is one of the most beautiful countries in the world," explains Doig. "Food-wise, places to go on holiday - it has got everything. The way of life is unbelievable. I enjoy every moment.

"But football-wise as well, it is a tough league, it is a very difficult league, and you really need to work hard - it is expected of you.

"The Italians are known for their defensive work rate and their strong backlines, and the Scottish way is we're all workers, that's what we do. It's in our DNA."

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