Chris Smalling facts for kids
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Smalling lining up for Manchester United in 2017
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 22 November 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Greenwich, England | ||
| Height | 6 feet 4 inches (1.94 m) | ||
| Playing position | Centre-back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Al-Fayha | ||
| Number | 5 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Walderslade Boys | |||
| Lordswood | |||
| 2002–2004 | Millwall | ||
| 2006–2007 | Maidstone United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2007–2008 | Maidstone United | 12 | (1) |
| 2008–2010 | Fulham | 13 | (0) |
| 2010–2020 | Manchester United | 206 | (12) |
| 2019–2020 | → Roma (loan) | 30 | (3) |
| 2020–2024 | Roma | 83 | (6) |
| 2024– | Al-Fayha | 13 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 2008 | England Schools U18 | 5 | (1) |
| 2009 | England U20 | 1 | (0) |
| 2009–2011 | England U21 | 14 | (1) |
| 2011–2017 | England | 31 | (1) |
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Christopher Lloyd Smalling (born on November 22, 1989) is an English professional footballer. He plays as a centre-back for the Saudi Pro League club Al-Fayha. Smalling also played for the England national team from 2011 to 2017.
Chris Smalling started his youth career at the Millwall academy. He then joined a non-League club called Maidstone United. After playing well there, he signed with Premier League club Fulham in 2008. He made his first professional appearance in May 2009. He even helped Fulham reach the UEFA Europa League final.
In 2010, Smalling moved to Manchester United. He played over 300 games for the club. With Manchester United, he won many trophies. These included two Premier League titles and the UEFA Europa League. In 2019, he joined the Italian team Roma. He helped them win the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2022.
Smalling also played for England's youth teams. He played for the under-18, under-20, and under-21 teams. He made his debut for the senior England team in 2011. He played in major tournaments like the 2014 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2016.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Football
Chris Smalling was born in Greenwich, London. His family later moved to Kent. He went to Chatham Grammar School for Boys. Smalling was a talented athlete from a young age. He was a national champion in Judo. He also came in second place in an international judo competition. As a child, he was a fan of Arsenal.
Joining Maidstone United
Smalling played for local youth teams like Walderslade Boys and Lordswood. Sometimes, he couldn't afford the bus fare for training. After a short time at Millwall's youth academy, he joined Maidstone United when he was 16.
He quickly became an important player for Maidstone United. He made his first team debut on April 11, 2007. He scored one goal for the club in a 4–2 win against East Thurrock United. This was his last game for Maidstone United.
Club Career Highlights
Playing for Fulham
After Maidstone United, several clubs were interested in Smalling. He signed with Middlesbrough in April 2008. However, he soon left due to homesickness. In June 2008, he joined Premier League club Fulham. Fulham paid Maidstone United a fee for him. He became captain of Fulham's youth development team.
Smalling made his Premier League debut for Fulham on May 24, 2009. His first start for Fulham was in the UEFA Europa League in September 2009. He played his first league start in December 2009. Fulham reached the Europa League final in 2010.
Time at Manchester United
On January 27, 2010, Manchester United announced they had signed Smalling. He officially joined the club in July 2010. He made his debut for United on August 8, 2010. This was in the 2010 FA Community Shield, which Manchester United won. This was his first trophy.
Smalling made his Premier League debut for United on August 28, 2010. He scored his first goal for Manchester United in September 2010. This was in a League Cup match against Scunthorpe United. In July 2011, Smalling signed a new five-year contract with United. He scored his first goal of the 2011–12 season in the 2011 FA Community Shield against Manchester City. United won that match too.
Smalling sometimes played as a right-back due to injuries to other players. He scored his first Premier League goal against Chelsea in September 2011. He missed the end of the 2011–12 season due to a groin injury. He also missed the start of the 2012–13 season due to a broken foot.
In November 2013, Smalling scored his first Champions League goal. This was in a 5–0 win against Bayer Leverkusen. In November 2014, he scored his first Premier League goal of the season. This was in a 3–0 win over Hull City.
In February 2015, Smalling made history. He became the first player in Premier League history to score two first-half goals as a substitute. This earned him a place in the Guinness World Records. In April 2015, he signed a new contract with Manchester United. He was praised by his manager for his defending. Smalling won the Manchester United Players' Player of the Year award in May 2016. He was sent off in the 2016 FA Cup Final, but Manchester United still won the trophy.
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He scored his first goal of the 2016–17 season in September 2016. This was a header in a 4–1 win over Leicester City. Smalling scored important goals in the 2017–18 season. He scored the winning goal in a 3–2 comeback victory over Manchester City. His final goal for United came in September 2018 against Watford. In December, he signed another new contract with Manchester United.
Moving to AS Roma
On August 30, 2019, Smalling joined Serie A club Roma. He joined them on a loan for the 2019–20 season. He became the first English player since David Beckham to score at least two goals in a Serie A season.
On October 5, 2020, Smalling signed a permanent contract with Roma. He signed a three-year deal. On May 25, 2022, Smalling was named man of the match. This was in the 2022 UEFA Europa Conference League Final. Roma won the match 1–0 against Feyenoord. This made them the first winners of the competition. In June 2023, Smalling signed a new contract with Roma until 2025.
Playing for Al-Fayha
On September 2, 2024, Smalling joined Saudi club Al-Fayha. He signed a two-year contract. He made his debut on September 14. In that game, he scored an own goal and received a red card.
Representing England
Youth National Teams
When he was 17, Smalling was chosen to play for his county, Kent. He was then selected for trials for the England Schoolboy international squad. He successfully joined the team. He played for England Schools against Australia in January 2008. He also played in the Centenary Shield. He scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Wales Schools.
Smalling made his debut for the England under-20 team in March 2009. He then made his debut for the under-21 squad in August 2009. He scored his first goal for the under-21s in October 2010. This goal helped England win 2–1 against Romania.
Senior National Team
On November 13, 2010, Smalling was called up to the England senior squad. He made his senior debut in September 2011. This was in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier against Bulgaria. England won the game 3–0.
In May 2014, Smalling was chosen for England's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He played his first World Cup game in the final group match against Costa Rica. The game ended in a 0–0 draw.
In May 2016, Smalling was named in England's squad for UEFA Euro 2016. He scored his first goal for England in June 2016. This was in a 1–0 win against Portugal. In November 2017, England manager Gareth Southgate decided not to include Smalling in the squad. Smalling was not part of the squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Off the Pitch
In June 2017, Chris Smalling married model Sam Cooke. They got married near Lake Como, Italy. They have a son named Leo, who was born in May 2019.
Smalling became vegan. He says this diet has helped him stay healthy. It also helps him recover faster after games. He promotes the vegan diet and kindness to animals. He has worked with PETA. In February 2019, he became a supporter of the education charity Football Beyond Borders.
Chris Smalling's Career Stats
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Maidstone United | 2006–07 | Isthmian League Division One South | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2007–08 | Isthmian League Premier Division | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | 15 | 1 | |||
| Total | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | 16 | 1 | ||||
| Fulham | 2008–09 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2009–10 | Premier League | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 18 | 0 | ||
| Total | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 19 | 0 | |||
| Manchester United | 2010–11 | Premier League | 16 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 1 |
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 19 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 30 | 2 | |
| 2012–13 | Premier League | 15 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 22 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14 | Premier League | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 2 | |
| 2014–15 | Premier League | 25 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 4 | |||
| 2015–16 | Premier League | 35 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 1 | — | 55 | 2 | ||
| 2016–17 | Premier League | 18 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 2 | |
| 2017–18 | Premier League | 29 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 4 | |
| 2018–19 | Premier League | 24 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 34 | 1 | ||
| Total | 206 | 12 | 34 | 2 | 17 | 1 | 62 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 323 | 18 | ||
| Roma (loan) | 2019–20 | Serie A | 30 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | — | 37 | 3 | ||
| Roma | 2020–21 | Serie A | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | — | 21 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | Serie A | 27 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 10 | 1 | — | 38 | 4 | |||
| 2022–23 | Serie A | 32 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | — | 47 | 3 | |||
| 2023–24 | Serie A | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | |||
| Total | 113 | 9 | 4 | 0 | — | 38 | 1 | — | 155 | 10 | ||||
| Al-Fayha | 2024–25 | Saudi Pro League | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 15 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 357 | 22 | 41 | 2 | 18 | 1 | 104 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 528 | 29 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 2011 | 2 | 0 |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 31 | 1 | |
- As of match played 10 June 2017. England score listed first, score column indicates score after each Smalling goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 June 2016 | Wembley Stadium, London, England | 25 |  Portugal |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
Awards and Trophies
Manchester United
- Premier League: 2010–11, 2012–13
- FA Cup: 2015–16; runner-up: 2017–18
- EFL Cup: 2016–17
- FA Community Shield: 2010, 2011, 2013
- UEFA Europa League: 2016–17
- UEFA Champions League runner up: 2010–11
Roma
- UEFA Europa Conference League: 2021–22
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2022–23
Individual
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2011
- Manchester United Players' Player of the Year: 2015–16
- UEFA Europa Conference League Team of the Season: 2021–22
- UEFA Europa League Team of the Season: 2022–23
Images for kids
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Smalling warming up for Fulham in 2009
See also
In Spanish: Chris Smalling para niños
