Smalling Leads Tributes To Muhammad Ali

The world was saddened when it was announced on Saturday that boxing legend Muhammad Ali had died, and several Manchester United players have paid tribute to the American icon.

Adnan Januzaj, Anthony Martial, Ashley Young, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Memphis Depay and Morgan Schneiderlin were among the Reds who expressed their shock at the news.

Chris Smalling has previously discussed his love of Ali and the imposing centre-back was among the first to react on Twitter, when he posted a photo of a framed picture (above) that he has hanging at home with the quote: “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will achieve nothing in life.”

Back in December 2015, during an interview with ManUtd.com, Smalling was asked to identify his greatest sportsman outside of football and he explained why he is continually inspired by Ali, the famed heavyweight champion of the world whose influence exceeded the mere boundaries of sport.

“There are lots to name, but I’m a big fan of Muhammad Ali,” Chris said. “I have got a few pictures of his quotes around my house as well. He always backed himself. You can be overconfident, but he could back it up and he had that belief. That was somebody who was really at the top of his game.”

A number of United players posted photos of Ali and quote graphics that encapsulated his career, while others wrote personal tributes. Schweinsteiger tweeted this message on Saturday: “One of the greatest athletes ever born. May you rest in peace. Your legacy will live on.”