- Birthdate: 22 Nov 1989
- Birthplace: Greenwich, London
- Position: Defender
- Joined United: 07 Jul 2010
- Joined From: Fulham
- International: England
- United Debut: 08 Aug 2010 v Chelsea (N)
A centre-back with pace, power and intelligence, Chris Smalling has emerged as an integral part of the Reds' defensive set-up, and has helped fill the sizeable gap left by Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic after their respective departures in 2014.
The England international started all but one of United's final 13 home games at the end of a season plagued by injury and, despite spending some time on the sidelines himself in 2014-15, Smalling earned the trust of Louis van Gaal in with a string of impressive performances.
A goal in 4-2 derby win over Manchester City was one of several stand-out moments, as was his role in the crucial 2-1 win over Crystal Palace in May. Having formed a formidable partnership with fellow countryman Phil Jones at the heart of the Reds' defence, Smalling was rewarded with a new four-year contract in April and enjoyed the honour of donning the captain's armband at the end of the season.
Incredibly, it was a mere 18 months after arriving at Fulham from non-league Maidstone, when the rookie defender agreed to terms that would make him a Manchester United player from 1 July 2010.
His first campaign at Old Trafford went better than anyone could have expected and, having been given chances to impress in various competitions, namely the UEFA Champions League and League Cup, he looked completely at home in M16.
An injury to mentor Ferdinand ultimately proved beneficial as Smalling enjoyed an extended run in the team, contributing to his impressive tally of 33 first-team appearances. Of course, a title winners' medal was also earned during an impressive debut campaign.
The defender's impressive exploits were later rewarded with a new five-year deal, which was signed in July 2011 ahead of a promising start to his second term with the champions, which was largely spent at right-back while Rafael was sidelined through injury.
Unfortunately, Chris also spent time in the treatment room that season and missed a selection of fixtures as a result of various problems, including a groin strain, a bout of tonsillitis, a nasty head wound and a broken foot, which meant Euro 2012 was a no-go.
Metatarsal surgery meant his 2012/13 season did not start until November's dramatic 3-2 win at Aston Villa and he made five further starts before the New Year.
Operating at both centre and right-back, his versatility proved crucial during the title run-in as he helped keep four of six clean sheets in February and March. But unfortunately another injury, sustained at Sunderland, ended a stop-start campaign which yielded just 23 appearances - the lowest of his three seasons. Nonetheless, Smalling picked up his second championship crown.
The following campaign was a difficult one for United, but notable for Smalling as he played a personal-high 38 games in all competitions, further demonstrating his potential with a number of solid displays across the backline. He was called up for England's World Cup squad and made his finals debut in a goalless draw against Costa Rica as Roy Hodgson's team failed to qualify.
Working hard to impress new boss van Gaal, a red card in the first half of the narrow derby defeat at City prompted a rebuke in the media from the Dutchman but he recovered to prove his worth to the side and matured into one of the most consistent performers as he took the manager's ideas on board.
Still a regular for ex-boss Hodgson at international level, he has plenty to look forward to on that front with the European Championship taking place in the summer of 2016 but will be determined to maintain his level of progress at United and grow even further in influence.
