Chris Smalling has proven that with determination and hard work, people can achieve all that they set their heart on achieving. His case is peculiar because no one gave him a chance as he moved from a humble and small-sized English club, Fulham to secure a contract as a center-back with England’s biggest soccer franchise and Premier League giants, Manchester United.
But even though fans and pundits wrote him off as a failed business, Smalling has consistently – season after season – ensured that he remained a force to be reckoned with as far as the defense department of the Manchester United soccer team is concerned while capping over 200 appearances with the side and winning a plethora of medals along the way.
He is a pro soccer player born as Christopher Lloyd Smalling in Greenwich, England on the 22nd of November 1989. His was a small family made up of his parents, Lloyd and Theresa Smalling, and his younger brother, Jason Smalling. Chris Smalling holds English nationality but he also has Jamaican ancestry. Before he ventured into soccer, he attended the Ridge Meadow Primary School and also had his high school education at Chatham Grammar School for Boys.
His family placed a very high premium on education and insisted all their kids completed their basic education before anything else – for Chris Smalling before he veered off into sports. Yes, sports, because Smalling was not only interested in soccer while growing up, he also tried other sports like judo, rugby, and including basketball. Ironically, he was good in all of them. Soccer will, however, take pre-eminence as young Smalling began his sojourn in the sport in 2002 by joining Walderslade Boys and then Millwall Academy.
Career – Professional Clubs
His professional career kicked off in 2007 when he joined the English lower league side, Maidstone United. He impressed with the club, moving from the youth setup to the reserves and then eventually picking a spot in the teams starting eleven. He only had to spend one professional season with the side because his impressive play attracted positive reviews for him and by the end of his debut season, in which he played 11 matches a scored a single goal, he had offers from bigger clubs such as Charlton Athletic, Reading, Fulham, Middlesbrough, etc.
He chose to sign for Middlesbrough who offered him a 2-year deal in April 2008. He would later sign for Fulham, a Premier League side after his Middlesbrough contract was terminated just one month later. It was stated that the reason for canceling his contract was that he was homesick and wanted to play for a club closer to his home. He made his Fulham debut in the last match of the 2008-08 season against Everton. Fulham played in the UEFA Europa League the next season and that was where he got his first start – an away 1-1 draw against CSKA Sofia. His first league start was in December 2009, away to Chelsea.
He moved to Manchester United in 2010 in a deal that surprised all who heard it. And he has remained with the team to date. He made his Manchester United debut in the 2010 Community Shield, where he collected his first soccer winners medal. In his time so far as a Center back for Manchester United, Chris Smalling has won 1 UEFA Europa League trophy, 2 English Premier League titles, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, and 3 FA Community Shields. He has also made over 250 appearances for Manchester United.
International Career
Chris Smalling has also played for the England men’s national team and began at the youth cadre when he was called up to represent the England under-20 side in 2009. He also played for the under-21 national team in the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship before making his senior debut in a 3–0 win over Bulgaria in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying match on September 2, 2011. Smalling has gone on to be capped the 31 times while scoring one goal for the Three Lions. He was, however, not among the Three Lions team that played in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Net Worth
Chris Smalling is currently earning £80,000 per week at Manchester United which will put his annual income at £4.16 million ($5.3 million). His exact net worth is not known as there are conflicting reports online over what the exact figures are. However, Smalling owns a mansion in Chesire, England, and also a good collection of luxury vehicles. He owns a Ferrari, a Bentley GT, an Audi, and a Mercedes Benz in his collection. The major source of his wealth is from soccer even though he also has an endorsement with Adidas.
Chris Smalling’s Wife, Girlfriend
About his personal life, it is a known fact that the defender, Chris Smalling is off the relationship market. He is married to his girlfriend of four years – Sam Cooke – after proposing to her while on a summer vacation in Bali. The couple walked down the aisle on the 22nd of June 2017 in a ceremony held in Lake Como, Italy. The wedding was well attended by his Manchester United teammates including Phil Jones, Luke Shaw, Wayne Rooney, among others.
Sam Cooke is English and hails from Manchester, England. She is a well-known glam queen and Page 3 model.
Is Chris Smalling Gay?
It is possible the Chris Smalling is gay at least from the evidence we have at the moment. Even though we know that there are stars in various fields who we did not believe could be LGBT compliant, but later came out as such, we may not expect Chris Smalling to give us such surprise as he is presently married and there have not been any reports or rumors of the kind associated with him.
Body Stats – Height, Weight
Chris Smalling has the height that is paramount for the business for defending, especially in the EPL. He also has the body physique and that is thanks to his decision to give meat and embrace the vegan life. His dietary alterations, at least, have kept him injury-free and fit unlike in time past when he was always on the treatment table.
His full body stats is not available on the internet but his height is 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) and his weight is 178 lbs (81 kg). His hair color is black and his eye color is dark brown.
