Chris Smalling has his sights firmly set on ending 2011/12 with two major trophies in his grasp. The talented young defender has …

Chris Smalling has his sights firmly set on ending 2011/12 with two major trophies in his grasp.

The talented young defender has enjoyed an impressive Reds career to date, and he insists his appetite for success is as strong as ever as United chase a Premier League and Europa League double.

"I was lucky to win the league in my first season and, at the risk of sounding greedy, I want to win the league every year," he said. "You only need to look at the teams who are still in the Europa League to realise it’s a competition worth winning.

"Eight of the teams were competing in the Champions League earlier this season and a lot of the others have done so previously. The Europa League is a strong competition and there are plenty of mouth-watering ties in this phase.

"Obviously we’d still like to be in the Champions League but we’re looking at the Europa League as a second chance. We’re going to go out there and show Europe we can still perform and we can still win trophies.

"We want to reach the final, although we know it won’t be easy. All of the players will be going out on the pitch and giving our all to reach the final. That’s how it should be at Manchester United. In fact, I’d be disappointed if we didn’t win at least one or two trophies every season."

Even at the tender age of 22, Smalling admits he already feels like part of the furniture around the club.

"I don’t feel like a new boy at all anymore," he said. "I’ve been here for 18 months, so I feel well and truly settled. I think I’ve learnt a lot since I joined and I’m striving all the time to improve because I want to be a part of many more title wins in the future."

Smalling thinks big

21ST FEB 2012

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