Smalling: Willing and able
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When Inside United caught up with Chris Smalling, the 20-year-old spoke with clarity and insight, revealing he had a university place lined up if he didn’t make it in football. Thankfully he did, and is relishing playing and developing at United...
You’re new to United fans; how would you describe yourself – person and player?
I’m a quiet lad off the pitch, but on it I’m trying to speak up more. The other players are helping me with that and I feel I’m getting more confident as I settle in. I’ve really enjoyed my time here so far.
What’s impressed you most about the club?
The will to win. Even the senior players who have been here for years and won countless trophies always want to win, even in training. They never lower their standards and they’re a great example for us young lads in the way they’re so driven. Striving for success is what this club is all about.
You seem to have settled in very easily…
I’ve been made to feel very welcome by everybody which has really helped. Going on tour in the summer was key in terms of the settling in process as I got to know a lot of the lads well. It’s a real family club with a great atmosphere. All the players get on well – there are obviously a lot of different nationalities here, but there’s great camaraderie amongst everyone.
Two years ago, if somebody had said to you, “You’ll be playing for Manchester United in a couple of years,” what would your response have been?
[Smiles] Well, I always hoped I’d get a chance to prove myself at the top level because I believed I could do it, but making your way up the football ladder is very tough. Thankfully I’ve been lucky enough to do that and I’m really pleased to have been givensuch a great opportunity.
You were spotted by Fulham when you were at Maidstone – how did that come about?
It was soon after I’d been selected for the England Schoolboys Under-18 squad. I’d heard a few clubs were watching me, and I went on trial for a week at Middlesbrough before going to train at Fulham for a couple of days. I played in a practice game and straight afterwards Roy Hodgson said that the club would like to sign me.
Had a part of you given up making it at the top level prior to that?
I always hoped I’d get an opportunity and, in a way, I had nothing to lose at that trial because I was all set to go to university if it didn’t work out. I’d done my A-levels and had applied to Loughborough to study Business Management with Economics. It was nice to have the back-up of the uni option, and it’s something I’ll probably pick up later in my career because we have a lot of free time and it would be nice to do the degree.
We’re guessing a typical day as a non-league player is very different to that as a Red…
[Laughs] Yes definitely! When I was at Maidstone I would have got up about 8.30am every day for school. We trained on Tuesdays or Thursdays in preparation for the weekend match and sometimes had a midweek game. I also had a part-time job at a hotel in the evenings so it was a busy time. It’s strange to have gone from that to being a United player and having a lot of free time on my hands because rest is so important. You train intensely for maybe an hour-and-a-half a day, and you’ve also got your gym work. But when you’re not training, much of the time is spent resting.
When did you first hear that United were interested in you?
It came really out of the blue andeverything happened very quickly. I was on my way to Blackburn with Fulham and Roy Hodgson said to me that Sir Alex was coming to our hotel to see me later that night. I was really nervous beforehand, but we had a good chat. I remember sitting there afterwards just trying to take everything in – the whole thing was a real shock, but a great surprise.
What did the manager say to you?
He said the club had been watching me for a while and that he saw me as part of the long-term future of the club. He also told me I’d play a few games in pre-season, which I did, and it’s been good to get a few more under my belt since then. I’m learning from some quality players and couldn’t be in a better environment to grow as a player. Hopefully I can take my chances when I get them.
You met your new team-mates early in the year, soon after your transfer was agreed, when United beat Manchester City in the Carling Cup semi-final; what do you remember about that night?
It was an amazing occasion and a great game to be at. There’s always something special about night games, but to be in a full house at Old Trafford with the fans making so much noise, and to see a game like that was brilliant. The manager took me down to the dressing room afterwards and I met all the players and Sir Bobby Charlton, and everyone was very welcoming. Witnessing a game like that just made me want to work really hard in order to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I’ve been given.
In Chicharito and Bebe, you had two other young players joining the club at the same time as you. Did that help?
Yes, definitely, it was nice that I wasn’t the only new player in the squad. I actually met Chicharito a couple of months before we joined as we were both in London on international duty. We had a goodchat and were both excited about playing for the club.
How much have you enjoyed playing and training alongside Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, and what have you learnt from the duo so far?
I’m learning from them every day. They’ve got such a great partnership and the consistency they’ve had together over the years has been fantastic. It’s just good to watch how they deal with different situations in matches and I want to bring the composure they show on the ball into my game. They’ve already given me a lot of confidence and it’s been good to play alongside both of them, and also Jonny [Evans] – I’m learning things off everyone.
What are your ambitions and goals for the rest of the season?
I just want to keep improving and make a big contribution to the team. I played about 20 games at Fulham, including a few in Europe, and I’d like to think I could get at least that amount under my belt this season. Playing for England Under-21s has been great in terms of getting more minutes on the clock, and it was nice to help the team secure qualification for Euro 2011 [next June]. United have got lots of games coming up in different competitions and hopefully I can play my part in helping the team do well in all of them. -
Ask a group of United fans who their favourite signing of the summer is and you’re likely to get only one response: Chicharito.
The Mexican striker has all the attributes for cult heroism – he gives his absolute all, would do anything for the team, has bags of character, talks as quickly as he runs (almost comically quick), always smiles… oh, and he scores goals for fun. But while Javier Hernandez has been capturing headlines, hearts and minds, fellow summer recruit Chris Smalling has been going about establishing himself, under the radar, as arguably the finest young defender in England.
His performance against Rangers at Ibrox on Wednesday epitomised his qualitities; he has undoubted talent, and he is undeterred by the big stages. Ibrox can be an intimidating atmosphere, but Smalling dealt with the challenge admirably.
He was plucked from non-league obscurity by Fulham, and even when it was made public in early 2010 that United had signed him, there were raised eyebrows from some wondering whether this might have been just a step too far for the inexperienced youngster. But he is now well-accustomed to making giant leaps, and he has taken this latest jump up in standard effortlessly in his stride.
The comparisons with Rio Ferdinand are inescapable: calm and composed on the ball, excellent passing ability and eagle-eyed vision, which enables him to read the game and snuff out any threats early. He doesn’t appear to have been seriously defensively tested by any forward yet, although that might well be because he’s alert to danger before it’s too late – and that is the sign of a truly top defender.
Every time he plays for United he looks as if this is the stage for him. It’s a wonder he took such a detour to get here. It’s testimonythat the cream always rises to the top, and that Sir Alex’s eye for a bargain burgeoning talent is as sharp as ever. Smalling is a genuinely nice guy too, which, I suppose, is perhaps largely irrelevant. But it makes you want him to be successful. And his understated demeanour off the pitch correlates with his quiet but very certain progress on it.
He earned his first England call-up just weeks before his 21st birthday (which he celebrated on Monday), and while it’s his progress at United that we should focus on, it’s another sign that he is ready to play at the game’s top level.
Smalling forms part of an emerging back four of young players that could serve United for a decade or more, another potential masterstroke in the team building qualities of Sir Alex. Rafael, Smalling, Jonny Evans and Fabio are all gaining valuable experience – and doing the Reds a great service, too – and while Rio, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra have plenty of mileage left in their careers, there’s a new generation below them ready to take over the mantle in years to come.
Even a player as unflappable as Smalling, with maturity beyond his years, is likely to go through a rough patch, however. All young players experience it. But at this club, the manager, the coaches, the players, and hopefully the majority of fans, there is patience for young players to learn their trade, hone their skills, fine-tune their talent and emerge as better players for it.
I believe that Smalling, along with Rafael, is a world-class defender in the making. And that, for me, after just a few months and only a half-dozen starts, highlights the impact he has made already at Old Trafford.The views expressed in this article are personal to the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Manchester United FC.
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A great buy for United... A Young Rio in the making...
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If i am Fergie, I'd play him over Evans anytime. That is if I am Fergie la.
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Fergie is the manager so he needs to balance mah... Must give Evans some chance also, so as when the time comes in the event they need him to play, he would have some game time under his belt...
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Chris Smalling accepts he’s unlikely to feature against Arsenal on Monday night, although the young defender says he’s more than ready to step in if required.
“Rio and Vida are the first-choice central defenders, but I have to be ready if called upon,” the 21-year-old said. “I’ve been watching on from the sidelines and learning from both of them in training.”
Against Valencia on Tuesday evening, the former Fulham and Maidstone United man was introduced on 50 minutes after Ferdinand felt his hamstring tighten and was removed from action as a precaution. Smalling slotted almost seamlessly into the Reds back four and helped keep Valencia’s forwards quiet until the final whistle.
It was his fifth Champions League appearance this season, a figure that goes some way to illustrating how well he’s taken to life at Old Trafford since arriving in the summer.
“I’m really happy with the way [my United career] has gone so far,” Smalling said. “The manager has shown faith in me and given me, and a lot of the other younger lads, a chance.
“This is going to be a hectic time. There are a lot of games to be played over Christmas so the manager will want to use his whole squad.”
And even though Ferdinand and Vidic will almost certainly get the nod against Arsenal, Smalling has been doing his homework on the current Barclays Premier League leaders.
“Samir Nasri has definitely shown that [he’s one of the best players in the league]. He’s a key player we will have to watch out for. He is so comfortable on the ball. I admire him greatly but you cannot just single one player out when you’re talking about Arsenal.
“We don't have any need to fear them, though. We’ll have more than 70,000 fans cheering us on. They should be intimidated more than we are.
“Monday is a massive game and we want to send out a statement. Now it’s time for us to kick on.”
