Manchester United defender Chris Smalling has said that being a stand-in captain this season has helped him develop after winning the club's Players' Player of the Year award.
Smalling, 26, has been more vocal on the pitch this season, having been encouraged to do so by United manager Louis van Gaal. He has already made 51 appearances for the Red Devils this term as well as five more for England.
When United captain Wayne Rooney and vice-captain Michael Carrick have been absent, the centre-back has taken on the armband.
"[The captaincy] is a huge honour and it's great that the manager has shown faith in me," Smalling told the club's official website. "It's nice that, after Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney, I get the chance. It really adds to your own sense of leadership.
"It's nice to win this award [for Players' Player of the Year], but I'm looking forward to hopefully picking up another trophy at Wembley [after the FA Cup final] in a few weeks."
David De Gea became the first United player to win the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award for three years in a row when he triumphed again on Monday night, while Cameron Borthwick-Jackson won the Under-21s honour and Marcus Rashford was handed the Under-18s award.