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Manchester United perfect fit for Rio Ferdinand-like Chris Smalling, says Maidstone mentor
Future England star was 2008 target for Arsenal and Chelsea
26 Jan 2010 15:50:00
EXCLUSIVE
By Matt Monaghan | Manchester United Correspondent
Chris Smalling was destined for the top from a young age, according to Bill Williams, who was key in signing the defender to his first ever senior club.
Manchester United have had a £7 million bid accepted for the England under-21 international by Fulham, and should the move be finalised, it will cap a meteoric three-year rise from lowly Isthmian League outfit Maidstone United to the current Premier League champions.
Bill Williams, 67, is general manager and director of football at the Kent-based side that also produced the Red Devils’ 1968 European Cup winner David Sadler. After making more than 250 appearances for teams such as Portsmouth, Queens Park Rangers and West Bromwich Albion, he took on his current roles seven years ago.
Williams confirmed that London giants Arsenal and Chelsea hold a long-term interest in Smalling and is convinced he will become part of Fabio Capello’s full England set-up.
“I’ve been in the game since I was 15 and helped players like Bruce Grobbelaar, Warren Barton and Gary Breen make it to the top. Smalling deserves to follow those guys in to international football and the Premier League,” Williams told Goal.com UK.
“He shot in to the first team from our youth ranks in no time at all. When he left us for Fulham [in 2008], Arsenal, Chelsea, Reading and Middlesbrough all wanted him as well.
“We picked him up after he was released by Millwall when he was 16 and I remember seeing him in his first trial match for us and being incredibly impressed. He was head and shoulders above the other boys, with a haircut like Marouane Fellaini.
"Chris desperately wanted to play for England schools and we told him we could help him make that happen. He reminds me of Rio Ferdinand as he’s six foot four, lightning quick, has good feet, reads the game excellently and strokes the ball around like a midfielder.
“It’s easy to jump on the bandwagon, but Chris is certainly Premier League class, and in my opinion, an England international in waiting. You don’t see players of his talent every day.”
By Matt Monaghan | Manchester United Correspondent
Chris Smalling was destined for the top from a young age, according to Bill Williams, who was key in signing the defender to his first ever senior club.
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Manchester United have had a £7 million bid accepted for the England under-21 international by Fulham, and should the move be finalised, it will cap a meteoric three-year rise from lowly Isthmian League outfit Maidstone United to the current Premier League champions.
Bill Williams, 67, is general manager and director of football at the Kent-based side that also produced the Red Devils’ 1968 European Cup winner David Sadler. After making more than 250 appearances for teams such as Portsmouth, Queens Park Rangers and West Bromwich Albion, he took on his current roles seven years ago.
Williams confirmed that London giants Arsenal and Chelsea hold a long-term interest in Smalling and is convinced he will become part of Fabio Capello’s full England set-up.
“I’ve been in the game since I was 15 and helped players like Bruce Grobbelaar, Warren Barton and Gary Breen make it to the top. Smalling deserves to follow those guys in to international football and the Premier League,” Williams told Goal.com UK.
“He shot in to the first team from our youth ranks in no time at all. When he left us for Fulham [in 2008], Arsenal, Chelsea, Reading and Middlesbrough all wanted him as well.
“We picked him up after he was released by Millwall when he was 16 and I remember seeing him in his first trial match for us and being incredibly impressed. He was head and shoulders above the other boys, with a haircut like Marouane Fellaini.
Future star | Smalling excelled before moving to Fulham
"Chris desperately wanted to play for England schools and we told him we could help him make that happen. He reminds me of Rio Ferdinand as he’s six foot four, lightning quick, has good feet, reads the game excellently and strokes the ball around like a midfielder.
“It’s easy to jump on the bandwagon, but Chris is certainly Premier League class, and in my opinion, an England international in waiting. You don’t see players of his talent every day.”
Smalling, 20, made 12 appearances for Maidstone before leaving for Craven Cottage in June 2008. He excelled in his first top-flight start for Fulham, in the 2-1 defeat by Chelsea, before unluckily deflecting the winning goal past Mark Schwarzer.
Williams continued: “He’s quite a shy lad, very genuine and a pleasure for any club to have. Chris himself went out of his way to help deliver a new television to our club this Christmas which was donated through Roy Hodgson.
“Don’t get me wrong though, he is a real competitor on the pitch and is no soft touch.
“You couldn’t go to a better club than Manchester United. It is a dream come true for him and we wish him all the best, although our only regret is that we couldn't get a sell-on clause inserted when he left us.”
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