Chris Smalling: Vidic Has Biggest Impact on Team

Chris Smalling has spoken to MUTV about his emergence this season and has lauded Nemanja Vidic as being the one who not only helps him the most, but the team as a whole:

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"It is a massive boost for me to play with Vidic. He is one of the world’s best central defenders, so to get the chance to learn my trade next to him is invaluable. He is always talking to me, which makes my job a lot easier when I step into the team. Vidic has had the biggest impact on the team this season. That is why we have been so solid at the back. He has been an ever-present, which just shows how formidable he has been this season."

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Having risen from non-league to Champions League in three years, Smalling has also told of how strange he finds it to be favorites, but that help is never far from hand:

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“It is all new for me being heavy favorites for so many competitions. A lot of the lads have been through this. They pass on their experience of getting through to the latter stages of games. They give you little pointers in terms of things like coming back at Blackpool. Wins like that help you to kick on and learn what this club is all about.”

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It sounds like we’ve got another talented youngster learning the United way.

I have been very impressed with Smalling since he signed, having been initially skeptical. He reminds me a lot of Gerard Pique when he first started playing, which can only be a good thing.