Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay has revealed Sir Alex Ferguson played a part in his decision to choose Scotland over England.

The 21-year-old made his international debut against Costa Rica in March and is part of Alex McLeish's squad ahead of friendlies against Peru and Mexico this summer.

He is eligible to play for Scotland through his father despite being born in Lancaster, and McTominay revealed former United boss Ferguson made sure he had his say.

"When I was in the development centres I was in and around The Cliff, Alex was there and he spoke to my dad," he told the Herald.

"After the memorial service for the Munich Disaster earlier this year he pulled me aside and told me: 'Make sure you do play for Scotland.'

"I also spoke to my manager at Manchester United. He told me to go and do whatever I needed to do.

"His advice was to weigh up both sides and then go with whatever is in your heart. I had already made the decision so it was reasonably simple."

Scott McTominay has broken through to become a regular under Jose Mourinho at Manchester United. Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

McTominay has joined up with Scotland after a breakthrough season at Old Trafford. He made 23 appearances in all competitions and was trusted by Mourinho in key games against Sevilla, Liverpool and Chelsea.

He will be part of the United squad that tours the United States in July ahead of what he hopes will be another positive campaign.

"Manchester United is a massive organisation," he added. "People are also interested in me because I am a Manchester United player. It is the same with Scotland.

"But I feel there has always been pressure on me, through Manchester United's academy, from 16s to 21s, and the pressure is even bigger going into the first-team.

"Thousands of people are watching you in every match and as I have got older I have got better with dealing with the pressure.

"I tend not to think about it as much as some other boys might do. I just want to keep working hard. That is the most important thing for me just now."