Chris Smalling Was Nearly Abandoned By Manchester United In Holland

It’s not exactly Home Alone, but this story is still pretty amusing.

Manchester United defender Chris Smalling was nearly left behind in The Netherlands last night as the team scrambled to make their flight.

United were on a tight schedule last night. Following their 1-0 loss to Feyenoord in the Europa League group stages, the team had less than two hours to shower, change, pack, and get to the airport before their private jet was set to take off. Had they missed that window, they would’ve been forced to stay in Rotterdam overnight.

Per UEFA regulations, two squad members were selected to undergo drug testing. Smalling and Ander Herrera were picked to give urine samples. After his post-match media availability, Smalling and Herrera went to the on-site doping facility at the stadium.

But when the time came, Smalling couldn’t produce a sample. Try as he might, the seal could not be broken, as it were.

And with time running out, the team made a difficult choice. They packed up and went to the airport. Without Smalling.

Meanwhile, the England international continued trying to produce a sample. Finally, Smalling managed to pee in a cup, but time was running out. He was rushed to a car and made his way to the airport— escorted by local police.

He did get to the airport on-time and made it onboard the plane with minutes to spare. All’s well that ends well.

Nevertheless, feel free to post your Chris Smalling’s Dutch Adventures fiction in the comments.