Chris Smalling
Chris Smalling is a British footballer who plays as a centre-back. He started his career with Maidstone United before moving to Fulham in June 2008 and helped them reach the 2010 UEFA Europa League Final. In 2010, he signed with Manchester United. He made his debut in the 2010 FA Community Shield win over Chelsea, which earned him his first career medal. He made over 300 appearances, winning two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, a League Cup, a UEFA Europa League and three Community Shields. Between 2019 and 2025, Smalling played for Serie A club Roma before transferring to Al-Fayha in the Saudi Pro League.
Why Chris Smalling is vegan
Chris Smalling is vegan for the animals.
Smalling went vegan for the animals in 2017, inspired by his wife who had already been vegan for several years.1Edwards, L. 2018. Chris Smalling credits becoming a vegan as the key factor to staying injury-free. The Telegraph. Available: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/08/03/chris-smalling-credits-becoming-vegan-key-factor-staying-injury/ [Accessed 9 September 2026]. Soon after, he joined forces with animal rights organisations to warn people with canine companions against leaving them in cars on hot days2Winter, S. 2018. Dogs in hot cars warning: Chris Smalling takes aim at pet owners – ‘A horrible way to die’. Express. Available: https://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/996911/Chris-Smalling-Dogs-in-hot-cars-warning [Accessed 7 May 2021]. and has spoken out about the horrors of animal agriculture.3PETA UK. 2019. Chris Smalling Jumps to Animals’ Defence in New Vegan Ad. Youtube. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS4p723xd70&t=14s [Accessed 9 September 2026].
Although the animals are his primary motivation, he also noticed improvements in recovery and injuries after cutting out animal products, saying his tendonitis stopped being a problem after he went vegan.
He has also invested in vegan meat and launched an eco-friendly venture capital fund.
“I realised how brutal [animal agriculture] is to animals, how unnecessary it is to us, and how damaging it is to the environment.”4PETA UK. 2019. Chris Smalling Jumps to Animals’ Defence in New Vegan Ad. Youtube. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS4p723xd70&t=14s [Accessed 9 September 2026].
References:
- Edwards, L. 2018. Chris Smalling credits becoming a vegan as the key factor to staying injury-free. The Telegraph. Available: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/08/03/chris-smalling-credits-becoming-vegan-key-factor-staying-injury/ [Accessed 9 September 2026].
- Winter, S. 2018. Dogs in hot cars warning: Chris Smalling takes aim at pet owners – ‘A horrible way to die’. Express. Available: https://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/996911/Chris-Smalling-Dogs-in-hot-cars-warning [Accessed 7 May 2021].
- PETA UK. 2019. Chris Smalling Jumps to Animals’ Defence in New Vegan Ad. Youtube. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS4p723xd70&t=14s [Accessed 9 September 2026].
- PETA UK. 2019. Chris Smalling Jumps to Animals’ Defence in New Vegan Ad. Youtube. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS4p723xd70&t=14s [Accessed 9 September 2026].
