Paddy Crerand has praised defender Chris Smalling for his displays at the heart of the Manchester United defence since his costly sending off against Manchester City.

The 25-year-old was dismissed in the Manchester derby, which proved to have dire consequences for Louis van Gaal's men as they fell to a narrow defeat at the Etihad Stadium.

However, the England international has been resolute since his return to the side and has played a pivotal role in their surge up the Premier League table.

"Chris has done very well to bounce back," Crerand told the club's official website. "He didn't get a lot of criticism from United fans for the red card, it was mostly from outside.

"That's the great thing about football - everyone has an opinion. I think it's the done thing today to criticise - if you don't have a dig at somebody then no-one notices so people will often say something controversial just to make sure they're noticed."

The Red Devils play Southampton in the Premier League later today.