“I agree [Smalling is under-rated],” he told MUTV at a TAG Heuer event at Hotel Football. “I think he has quality. I played with him and know what he can do.

“Since Ole came, Phil has played most of the games so I think Ole has trust in him. He is a player I played with and I think, it’s the same as Smalling, they are underestimated in the media and by fans. ”

When you don’t get good results, criticism is always going to come. When I played for the club, me and my team-mates, we understood that we can just go forward as a team – not as individuals. Obviously, you have to win matches, then you have to win trophies and then the recognition will come.