He has really made a name for himself this season – unfortunately it’s the wrong one.
Chris Smalling has enjoyed the form of his life in 2015, as maturing into one of the most accomplished defenders in the country under the mentorship of Louis van Gaal.
If the Dutchman is to thank for his rapid development, he is also to blame for the strangest/dullest pseudonym in football. No one decides to be called ‘Mike’.
It’s with a certain level of resignation – and not really much humour – that Chris/Mike admits to BT Sport that he is probably lumbered with the misnomer forever.
You can’t really blame the towering stopper if he’s a little miffed. As Oscar Wilde once said: “To call someone Mike Smalling once may be regarded as a misfortune; to call it him twice looks like you’re taking the p*ss.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfKrcSgpQjc
