Chris Smalling is not a dedicated follower of fashion, or an obvious trendsetter, so to learn the Manchester United defender is a trailblazer, extolling the benefits of footballers switching to a vegan diet may come as something of a surprise.

What started out as an experiment, a lifestyle choice to make things simpler for his vegan wife, former model Sam, when preparing meals in the house, has had huge ramifications for the 28-year-old who could be at the vanguard of a new wave of veganism in sport. He would not be the first high-profile athlete to preach the benefits of a vegan diet. Tennis player Novak Djokovic also experimented with cutting out animal products, like meat and dairy, and suggested the change was one of the main reasons behind his rise to world No 1.

The Serbian has since admitted he has dropped the strict dietary approach, yet Smalling is newly converted, convinced it has helped him avoid stress-related muscle injuries, improving his physical performance by strengthening his body’s immune system.

The benefit of a vegan diet for elite athletes tends to split opinion among nutritionists, but Smalling will not be swayed.

“My wife is vegan and has been for a few years,” he says. “She’s often tried to persuade me. She cooks a lot at home and half the time I was eating vegan anyway. I wasn’t fully vegan, when we ate out, I would have what I normally have.