Smalling was playing non-league football two years ago

Manchester United have completed the signing of Fulham defender Chris Smalling, who will join them for the start of the 2010-11 season.

Smalling, 20, was playing non-league football for Maidstone until 2008 and has only made two Premier League starts to date for Fulham.

The Greenwich-born player, who is believed to have cost about £7m, has signed a four-year deal with United.

Centre-back Smalling had also been subject to a bid by Arsenal.

Smalling's first-team debut for Fulham was on the final day of last season, and his first start was in the Europa League game away at CSKA Sofia in September last year.

606: DEBATE It's a bit of a strange buy for United because, unless the rumours are true that Vidic is going to leave, Smalling is not going to get much football for a while shinybaldhead

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson was evidently impressed by his performance, saying he had "played with a maturity I'm not entitled to expect from a player so young".

Smalling's first Premier League start was on 28 December, at Chelsea, where he scored an own goal in a 2-1 defeat.

He also played against Spurs on the same day his transfer to United was made public, and was partly at fault for Peter Crouch's opening goal.

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