Scotland international Billy Gilmour remained on the pitch for 94 minutes during Napoli’s crucial 2-0 win against Milan before being subbed off seconds before the final whistle and receiving words of approval from his manager Antonio Conte.
Gilmour had the delicate task of replacing Stanislav Lobotka, who proved irreplaceable for Conte throughout this start to the season before picking up an injury with Slovakia during the last international break.
However, the former Brighton midfielder lived up to the duty and took advantage of his first starts with Napoli to show his quality, with his latest display against the Rossoneri leaving the Italian tactician particularly pleased.
Conte full of praise for Gilmour’s performance in Milan-Napoli
Gilmour was replaced by Michael Folorunsho after 94 minutes in Napoli’s 2-0 away win at the San Siro, but before the Scotland international could reach his teammates on the bench, Conte approached him to congratulate the midfielder on his performance.
“Great job, what a game you played, top,” Conte told Gilmour with a big smile on his face, as reported by Corriere dello Sport.
The 23-year-old made 49 accurate passes out of 53 attempted, with a completion rate of 92%. His defensive contribution was also impressive, as he won two of three attempted ground duels and made five clearances as well as one interception.
Also, he covered 12.668 km during the game, with only Scott McTominay ahead of him among his teammates. Gilmour racked up seven Serie A appearances in total this term, although he’s still to make a goal contribution.