Chris Smalling, considered one of the nations great young prospects, is expected to one day take over from the likes of John Terry and Rio Ferdiannd at the heart of England’s defence, and line up alongside Phil Jones in United’s once the days of Rio and Vidic come to an end at Old Trafford. Smalling was brought in to United in 2010 after impressing on loan at Fulham, and we were led to believe the 21-year-old would cover for an suspensions or injury problems in the centre of United’s defence.

Last season Smalling made 33 appearances in all competitions for United, and his performances on the field were believed to have put pressure on the Vidic and Ferdinand partnership that had gone relatively unchallenged for a number of years. It came as somewhat a surprise then to see Chris Smalling start the season at right back for both Manchester Unitedand England, and some have suggested this could prove to be damaging to his development as a centre half.

Smalling won his first senior international cap last week in England’s Euro 2012 qualifier away at Bulgaria, after impressing Fabio Capello in United’s opening fixtures at right-back. The England boss claimed that he was “surprised” at how well Smalling had adapted to a new role at Old Trafford, and insisted the 21-year-old had “improved and improved” in United’s opening fixtures since the Community Shield back at the beginning of August.

After the 3-0 win in Bulgaria, Smalling himself admitted that he was still learning the position but that he was happy to carry on as England’s right-back. Both Micah Richards and Glen Johnson were unavailable for England’s fixtures, and Smalling’s debut performance earned him a recall against Wales the following week, again on the right side of England’s defence.

Smalling’s rise to both the United starting eleven and the England national side has come incredibly quickly for the 21-year-old, who signed his first professional contract with Fulham in 2008. Until then, Smalling had played at Maidstone FC in the Isthmian League Divison One South. However, while at both Maidstone and Fulham, Smalling was always deployed in the centre of the defence, and it was his ability in this position that caught the attention of Sir Alex Ferguson while he was at Fulham.

Smalling claimed that his aim for the season is “to play as many games as possible for United and to take it from there.” Following the departures of both John O’Shea and Wes Brown over the summer, Smalling was introduced to the right-back position in United’s pre-season games in what he believes to have been Ferguson’s way of “seeing who would fit in”.

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