Rooney: Smalling Among World's Best

Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has heaped praise on Chris Smalling and claimed the in-form defender is among the “top three centre-halves in the world”.

That is a big statement from the skipper, but it is also one that reflects Smalling’s rapid development over the last 18 months and his unquestionably excellent form under Louis van Gaal.

While Smalling impressed many supporters and learned pundits throughout the second half of the 2014/15 season, the current campaign has truly emphasised his emergence as United’s primary defender and a player who has been tipped to succeed Rooney as captain in the years to come.

No player has made more appearances for United in 2015/16 than Smalling and Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Manchester City featured another commanding performance from our no.12, whose deceptive physicality and strength in the tackle was utilised to keep Blues striker Wilfried Bony at bay.

The matchday programme at Old Trafford included an exclusive interview with Rooney and, when asked whether he has been impressed by Smalling as both a player and a leader this season, the England captain was clear in his response. “Yeah, I have been,” Wayne told United Review. “He has been incredible and for me he is right up there in world football in terms of centre-halves.

“He is in the top three centre-halves in the world – I think he is that good! He is a great player and he is developing to become more of a leader of the back four. It is great to see for both United and England, and hopefully that can continue for him and he can help us to be successful.”

In a wide-ranging interview, Rooney also discussed the arrival of summer signing Anthony Martial and paid tribute to the way the Frenchman has settled in a new country with a young family, while managing to score five goals in 10 appearances for van Gaal’s Reds.

“I think he has been incredible, how he has come over to Manchester and started the way he has,” Rooney explained. “Let’s not forget he is still a very young lad as well. To come over with his young family and start the way he has, he deserves a lot of credit.

“You can see what a good player he is and he’ll be an important player for us from now until the end of the season. He is probably the quickest player in our team, if not the quickest in the league.”

At 19, Martial has joined United as one of the most exciting young prospects in European football and that is a title that has also been used to describe 21-year-old Memphis in recent months. Rooney signed for the Reds at 18 and quickly formed an alliance with a 19-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, which Sir Alex Ferguson used to form an iconic team that later achieved success at home and abroad.

So can Martial and Memphis be compared with Rooney and Ronaldo? “It is hard to say, obviously, but they are certainly two very good players who have lots of talent and ability,” Wayne said. “If they keep learning and progressing like they are, then hopefully they will do what me and Ronaldo did back then. It would be great for the team if they can do that.

“The good thing is that they want to learn and that is good to see in young players. They haven’t come in and just done things the way they want to do them. They are doing things for the team and listening to what the manager is saying to them. I am sure under this manager they will learn a lot and that will help them become top, top players in the world.”