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Chris Smalling says the prospect of working with Sir Alex Ferguson was impossible to refuse.

But the Manchester United defender admits that it’s only since working under Louis van Gaal that he has developed the consistency to be a top class centre back.

Smalling has been one of the major successes under the Dutchman - finally fulfilling the potential that convinced Ferguson to spend £10m on him in the former United manager’s final years at Old Trafford.

The 25-year-old was one of Ferguson’s parting gifts to both club and country - a brave and aggressive defender, who under Van Gaal’s tutelage has added an assuredness and composure to his game that let him down in early years at United.

Working under Roy Hodgson at Fulham, Smalling was a 20-year-old, recently plucked from non-league Maidstone when Ferguson came calling - along with Arsene Wenger.

“It happened so fast,” he said. “I was getting settled at Fulham, then to have that interest so quickly was a dream.

“To know that Sir Alex Ferguson wanted you to play for him was an opportunity that was too hard to refuse.”

Smalling had his moments under Ferguson, but the competition for places was intense with Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Phil Jones and Jonny Evans all competing for two places in the heart of United’s defence.

It wasn’t until the departures of Vidic and Ferdinand upon Van Gaal’s arrival in the summer of 2014 that the way began to clear for the England international.

His new manager recognised his quality from the start. So much so that he dropped his interest in Arsenal’s Thomas Vermaelen because Wenger insisted on including Smalling in any deal for the Belgian.

That decision has been vindicated by Smalling’s outstanding performances alongside Daley Blind this season.

Van Gaal says it is the player who deserves the credit for his improvement on the pitch, but the United manager’s trust in him has been influential.

“I’ve been lucky enough to to work with some very good managers and I feel like over the last year I’ve been able to stay injury-free and get a consistent run,” said Smalling. “My form was a bit up and down so it was a case of showing that consistency, which is something you really need at the top level.”

Smalling has now established himself in the heart of England’s defence alongside Gary Cahill, with the pair looking like Hodgson’s preferred choice ahead of Euro 2016.

The England manager might have a Dutchman to thank for that.