Why Smalling Admires Beckham

Manchester United defender Chris Smalling answered our quickfire questions about the the best goal, save and team he has ever witnessed in his life. The England international delivered several articulate responses, with Old Trafford legend David Beckham featuring twice...

Best goal you’ve ever seen?
On TV it has to be [David] Beckham’s free-kick against Greece for England. I remember watching that with my mum and brother in my living room and the feeling when that went in was amazing. Me and brother kept trying to re-enact it in the living room after that! It was a moment when a great player stepped up to deliver. The best goal I've seen live would have to be Wayne’s [Rooney] overhead kick against City. That was my first derby and my view of the goal was quite good. I wasn’t too far behind Nani on the halfway line and for him to pull that out of the bag was unbelievable. I just remember the whole stadium erupting.

Best save you’ve ever seen?
David [De Gea] has made so many! I didn’t play in this game but the one against Everton [in 2014] in the dying seconds when he somehow clawed away a shot from Bryan Oviedo on the edge of the box. He’d saved a penalty earlier in the game then he made that top-left hand save from Oviedo when it looked like a guaranteed goal. That’s the best save I’ve seen.

Best individual performance you’ve ever seen?
I’d say Beckham in the Greece game. There are few things bigger than playing for your country and in such a big game like that. He played amazingly in that game, he dragged the team through really and when he got the free-kick there was only one place it was going. 

If you could play in any team in history, which one would you choose?
I’d say the 1966 World Cup-winning team. To be able to say you’ve won the World Cup I think you could finish your career very, very happy! The United 1999 team as well when they won the Treble. You saw the celebrations at the end of that season - that showed the magnitude of what they had achieved.

Is there a stadium or city you haven’t played in yet that you would like to?
I’d like to play at the San Siro and the Nou Camp. It’s a tough choice between those two but I’d probably pick the San Siro. 

If you could go back in time and talk to a 16-year-old you, what advice would you give?
I’d tell myself to live each day to the maximum and to really enjoy the big moments because you never know how long you’ve got, generally in life or how long your career will be. You have to enjoy life and always look at the bigger picture.

What’s your ultimate football dream?
I think it would be to win the World Cup. It would be the icing on the top of the cake and more.