MANCHESTER UNITED DEFENDER Chris Smalling had the local firefighters round to his house last night.

According to the Manchester Evening News, emergency services were called when the jacuzzi in his back garden caught fire. Before you starting wondering if there were Mario Balotelli-style antics involved, it seems the hot tub went up due to an electric fault.

“Police were in the area when they spotted smoke and reported a fire to our control centre,” watch manager of the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service Stuart France said said.

“When we arrived it was quite a large fire involving a whirlpool bath and decking, which could have easily become something more serious.

“The police officers who were at the scene used a garden hose on the fire and when we arrived we extinguished it using a hose reel. The most likely cause was an accidental electrical fault.”

While all this was happening, the England international appears to have been enjoying a night of poker and Champions League football elsewhere. He posted this picture on Instagram:

smalling / Instagram

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