According to the Daily Mirror, Manchester United young defender Chris Smalling admits that Rio Ferdinand is certainly a big name to replace, but he is ready to prove his quality to Sir Alex Ferguson, and believes that he has what it takes to play regularly in the first team.

The 21-year-old knows he’ll have to bide his time with a wealth of talent in the squad, having to battle for a place with the likes of Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, but is prepared to be patient.

“When Rio got injured, it was time for me to step up to the plate,” Smalling said. “They’re big shoes to fill, but hopefully with my performances, and the sort of games and massive occasions I’ve been playing in, I can get the manager’s faith in me and he can justify playing me.

“When you get the shirt and a position in the team, you don’t want to give it up. But I understand that Rio is the main man. I just have to make sure that, whenever an opportunity arises, I keep taking them.

“I know I’ll have to bide my time. But I’m always going to be ready, because no player wants to be sitting on the bench.

“It’s possibly more than I expected this season. Not so much in terms of the number of games, because I hoped to be given a few, but the types of games I’ve been involved in. But I’m enjoying it.”

Smalling played during United’s 0-0 draw with Marseille in the Champions League this week and received much praise from Ferguson, who proclaimed his performance as “excellent”.

“I played in Europe with Fulham last year, but they were smaller stadiums than this one,” said Smalling.

“I had a few jitters, but I like these sort of occasions. A lot of my games have been at Old Trafford, where I have the fans on my side, but I do like these occasions when a lot are against you and we stick together.”

Taking part in some of the bigger games of the season is something that Smalling notes as being a big step in his career.

“Playing in the Manchester derby definitely helped me. The bigger games and occasions are coming to me now and hopefully I can lay the foundations in other competitions, but to play at this level is really good for me,” he said.

“I didn’t expect to get games of this nature [Champions League] yet. I hoped to play some Premier League games and other cup competitions but in terms of the knockout stage of the Champions League, to get this chance at this stage of my career is great.

“There’s a lot riding on the biggest competition in the world for this club, so to have the manager’s faith in me for these kind of games is great and hopefully I can repay that faith.

“After playing against City in the derby and having an away game of this magnitude behind me, now I just look forward to games. It’s not daunting.”

The young defender says that United have reached the season’s tipping point now, but have the strength and team spirit to push on in the Premier League and make the top spot their own throughout.