Chris Smalling looking like a future Manchester United captain under Louis van Gaal

'Smalling has the talent to speak and that makes him easier to coach. That is why I made him a leader of the team'

(Getty Images)

For Chris Smalling, his first Manchester derby under Louis van Gaal would have been a chastening experience. The Dutchman had been in charge for barely three months, United were stumbling forward and the derby at the Etihad was lost 1-0. Smalling had been sent off and, if he could bear to watch the television in the dressing room, he would have noted that Manchester United played rather better without him.

The post-match press conference last November would have given the defender little comfort, either. Van Gaal sat in front of the microphones and called him “stupid” just as, on Wednesday night in Moscow, asked why Bastian Schweinsteiger had been substituted at half-time in the 1-1 Champions League draw against CSKA, the United manager stated he had been far too slow. Sir Alex Ferguson might have talked about a tight hamstring.

A year on, Smalling, 25, is the only United player who has been involved in every match this season, the man most likely to inherit Wayne Rooney’s captain’s armband. “Every player takes the steps by himself,” said Van Gaal. “I put him in a situation and the player can either take on board what I tell him or not. It is his responsibility.”

What Smalling learnt to do is talk. What made the central defensive partnership of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic so effective at United was that they were big personalities who imposed themselves in the dressing room and on the pitch. Smalling and Phil Jones, who will be charged with keeping Manchester City at bay in the derby on Sunday, are rather quieter men.

“[Goalkeeper] David De Gea has the best view of what is going on and then it is the central defenders,” said Van Gaal. “They need an overview. Smalling has the talent to speak and that makes him easier to coach. That is why I made him a leader of the team.

“He has also stepped up in a tactical way,” added the United manager. “When you give instructions, you need someone who understands tactics. Smalling is a structured person and he accepted it quicker.

“As for the captaincy, well you don’t have to worry about that for the moment because Wayne Rooney is the captain and then there is Michael Carrick but, when they are gone, Chris Smalling can do that and this is the direction I am pushing him in.”