What's the big deal on new defender Chris Smalling?

Smalling in the new Manchester United kit.

On January 26, 2010, Manchester United announced that they had signed Chris Smalling, he may be impishly named but he stands 6 feet and 4 inches! (193 cm)

He made his Manchester United debut in a 3–1 friendly win over Celtic at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada, on July 16, 2010, conceding the penalty that led to Celtic's goal.

Little more than 18 months after arriving at Fulham from non-league Maidstone, defender Chris Smalling agreed to terms that would make him a Manchester United player from July 1, 2010.

At the time, Sir Alex described Smalling as “an extremely talented young defender who we’ve been monitoring for some months”. And also...

“He’s very quick and reads the game well. He will be a great asset to the club, playing alongside some of the best defenders around and we’re delighted to have secured his signature.”

I can't wait to see what this big boy can do!