Manchester United player Chris Smalling sweetly reveals he feels 'truly blessed' following the birth of his first child Leo Asher with wife Sam The child is the first for the Manchester United defender and wife Sam Leo Asher was welcomed on May 14 following a 'tough' 39 hour labour Sam Smalling has been keeping her Instagram followers updated on pregnancy She revealed during a candid social media post she had 'suffered complications' Sam thanked her 'amazing husband', helpful mother and her two pet pooches By Sarah White and Charlotte Dean For Mailonline Published: 21:44 BST, 24 May 2019 | Updated: 21:44 BST, 24 May 2019 Viewcomments Manchester United's Chris Smalling and his wife Sam have taken to Instagram to announce the arrival of their first child - a son named Leo Asher. The football ace, 29, revealed that they welcomed a baby boy on May 14 with a sweet social media post, where he said he felt 'truly blessed' following the birth. Sharing the news with his 2.3 million followers, he wrote: 'Welcome to the family Leo Asher Smalling. We are truly blessed to have you in our lives!' Newborn: Manchester United's Chris Smalling and his wife Sam have taken to Instagram to announce the arrival of their first child - a son named Leo Asher Chris' wife Sam shared her own lengthier post, where she divulged that she had suffered some complications and a 'tough' 39 hour labour. She penned: 'Welcome to the world Leo Asher Smalling. Me and @Smalling are totally in love with this little man and promise to try and be the best parents we can be, to help him be the best human he can be, to be happy, healthy and kind. 'After a tough 39 hour labour he arrived on his due date, 14th May 2019. Leo was so strong throughout the labour and delivery and is doing really well. Unfortunately I’ve had some complications, hence only just getting around to posting. Happy news: The football ace, 29, revealed that they welcomed a baby boy on May 14 with a sweet social media post, where he said he felt 'truly blessed' following the birth Blessed: Sharing the news with his 2.3 million followers, he wrote: 'Welcome to the family Leo Asher Smalling. We are truly blessed to have you in our lives!' 'It’s been really tough physically and emotionally but I’m so so grateful for my amazing husband who’s literally been the best dad and husband in the world. As well as paying tribute to her 'amazing' husband, Sam also thanked her mum for keeping her house running as well as her two pooches Miley and Ruben. 'And my amazing mum who’s been chief cook and housekeeper. Not forgetting Miley and Ruben who have been little stars. So grateful for everything I have.' Blessingway: Ahead of the birth, rather than celebrating with a baby shower, Sam and her friends enjoyed a blessingway - also known as a Mother Blessing - which is is all about nurturing the mother-to-be, and celebrating motherhood Model Sam announced she was pregnant on New Year's Eve, posting a picture of her baby scan and a picture alongside Chris and their Christmas tree. She wrote alongside the images: 'Happy NYE from the Smalling’s! This year our dreams are coming true as we’ll be welcoming our first (non fury) son into the world.' Ahead of the birth, rather than celebrating with a baby shower, Sam and her friends enjoyed a blessingway - also known as a Mother Blessing - which is is all about nurturing the mother-to-be, and celebrating motherhood. Fur baby: As well as paying tribute to her 'amazing' husband, Sam also thanked her mum for keeping her house running as well as her two pooches Miley and Ruben Sam shared snaps from the event, including an image of her heavily henna-tattooed stomach, which boasted an incredibly intricate design. Chris and Sam were married at an idyllic ceremony at sun-soaked Lake Como in 2017 after getting engaged to each other during a Bali getaway the year before. They were joined by some of Chris' former and current teammates including Wayne Rooney, Phil Jones, Luke Shaw and Danny Welbeck. Married: Chris and Sam were married at an idyllic ceremony at sun-soaked Lake Como in 2017 after getting engaged to each other during a Bali getaway the year before Football ace: They were joined by some of Chris' former and current teammates including Wayne Rooney, Phil Jones, Luke Shaw and Danny Welbeck Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility