Chris Smalling is determined to force his way into Sir Alex Ferguson’s future plans with a string of excellent performances in Manchester United’s remaining fixtures.
The England international’s season has been plagued by injury which made securing a regular starting spot in United’s title wining side difficult.
But the 23-year-old is confident he can utilise the Red Devil’s run-in to prove he deserves a starting berth come the beginning of the 2013/14 season.
“I’ve got a few games to show the manager that, next season, I should be in with a shout of starting,” he told the club website. “That’s the aim.
“You look for those opportunities to get in the side. There were a few chances throughout the season when we’ve had injuries and I’ve had a niggling injury too, so that’s frustrating.
“But we’ve won the title nice and early and we still have four games left to play. Hopefully I can be involved and then the plan is to get a full pre-season under my belt and next year have an injury-free campaign.”
Ferguson is blessed with defensive options, meaning Smalling faces competition for a starting spot with the likes of Phil Jones, Jonny Evans, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.
“Even though there’s competition, its purpose is to drive you on to perform better and we always want the other guys to do well because that means the team can be successful,” he added.
“That’s what we all want more than anything and that’s why we’ve done well this season. Even with the forwards, you can see Antonio Valencia and Nani get on really well.
“They play in the same position and they’re competing for a place in the side. There’s a good camaraderie among the group, which is shown on the pitch.”
Image courtesy of FATV, via YouTube, with thanks.
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