 Smallwood in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Richard Smallwood[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1990-12-29)29 December 1990 (age 34) | ||
| Place of birth | Redcar, England[2] | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Tranmere Rovers | ||
| Number | 6 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Redcar Town | |||
| –2010 | Middlesbrough | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2014 | Middlesbrough | 60 | (3) |
| 2014 | →Rotherham United (loan) | 19 | (0) |
| 2014–2017 | Rotherham United | 108 | (3) |
| 2016–2017 | →Scunthorpe United (loan) | 16 | (1) |
| 2017–2020 | Blackburn Rovers | 78 | (2) |
| 2020–2022 | Hull City | 69 | (2) |
| 2022–2025 | Bradford City | 130 | (6) |
| 2025– | Tranmere Rovers | 0 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2008 | England U18 | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 00:36, 15 July 2025 (UTC) | |||
Richard Smallwood (born 29 December 1990) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as acentral midfielder forEFL League Two sideTranmere Rovers.
Born inRedcar, he signed his first professional deal with local sideMiddlesbrough in 2009. He was sent out on loan toRotherham United in 2014 where he scored the winning penalty in the2014 League One play-off final. Smallwood signed permanently for Rotherham in 2014, where he would win the club's Player of the Year award in his first full season. After a loan spell withScunthorpe United, he signed for recently relegated League One clubBlackburn Rovers in 2017. He was an ever-present for Blackburn in his first season as the club were promoted back to theChampionship. Smallwood left Blackburn in 2020 forHull City where he would win theLeague One title in his first season. After two seasons with Hull, Smallwood moved toLeague Two clubBradford City where he was named as captain. In his third season with the club, he played a pivotal role in Bradford's promotion, earning the club's Player of the Season award as well as being named in theLeague Two Team of the Season. He subsequently joinedTranmere Rovers in 2025.
Smallwood's natural position is theholding role in the centre of midfield. He is a product of theMiddlesbrough Academy having begun his career with his home-town clubRedcar Town.[3]
At the start of the 2009–10 season, Smallwood signed his first professional contract with the club.[4] Smallwood made his debut for Middlesbrough on 19 October 2010 in a 1–0 away defeat toNottingham Forest.[5] In January 2011, Smallwood signed an 18-month contract with the club.[6] On 2 May 2011, Smallwood scored his first goal for the club in a 3–0 win againstCardiff City.[7] On 3 November 2012, he scored his second league goal in a 4–1 win away toCharlton Athletic.[8] However, in the 2013–14 season, Smallwood lost his first team place following new arrivals.[9] Under the management ofAitor Karanka, Smallwood was among the players to be offloaded as part of Karanka's plans to reduce the squad size.[10]
On 23 January 2014, Smallwood joinedRotherham United on loan for the remainder of the2013–14 season.[11] Shortly after arriving at Rotherham United, Smallwood quickly went straight into the first team; he was sent-off for a late challenge onBilly Knott, as Rotherham United beatPort Vale 1–0 on 21 April 2014.[12] As a result of the challenge, Smallwood had to serve a three-match suspension, missing the last two games of the season and one match in the play-offs.[13]
Smallwood scored the winning penalty in the shoot-out after taking the fifth penalty to win it as Rotherham secured promotion with apenalty shoot-out victory againstLeyton Orient.[14] After the match, Smallwood said it was the first time he had taken a penalty in his professional career.[15] As a result of his good performance at Rotherham United, the club made a bid to sign Smallwood in early July, only to be rejected by Middlesbrough.[16]
Initially signed in an emergency loan deal,[17] Smallwood signed for Rotherham United on a permanent basis after Middlesbrough accepted a £175,000 bid for him.[18][19] Smallwood scored his first ever goal for Rotherham United in their 3–3 home draw withDerby County with a free-kick from the edge of the area.[citation needed] In his first full season with Rotherham, he won the Player of the Season award having made 41 appearances, scoring once.[20][21]
On 31 August 2016, new Rotherham United managerAlan Stubbs sent Smallwood out on a season long loan toScunthorpe United for the last year of his contract. With Stubbs no longer at the club, agreement was reached to terminate the loan on 9 January 2017. Smallwood scored one goal for Scunthorpe during his loan, the final goal in a 4–0 home defeat ofSouthend United on 10 September 2016.[22][23] Smallwood elected to leave Rotherham United at the end of his contract, turning down an extension offered by the club.[24]
Smallwood signed a two-year contract withBlackburn Rovers on 20 June 2017.[25] He scored his first goal for Blackburn in a 3–1EFL Cup win againstCoventry City on 8 August 2017.[26] He was a member of the Blackburn side that were promoted back to the Championship at the first attempt in2017–18 in second position.[27] He played all 46 league matches during the campaign.[28]
On 11 August 2020, Smallwood signed forHull City, on a two-year deal with an option to extend a further year.[29] Smallwood was then named as Hull City's captain for the upcoming 2020–21 season.[30]Smallwood played his first game for the club on 5 September 2020, in the first round of theEFL Cup away againstSunderland, which Hull won onpenalties after a 0–0 draw.[31] Hull were crowned as League One champions in his first season, as he made 27 league appearances.[32][33]
He scored his first goal for Hull in a 4–1 win atPreston North End on 7 August 2021.[34] Smallwood was released at the end of the2021–22 season.[35]
On 22 June 2022, Smallwood signed forBradford City on a free transfer on an initial two year deal.[36] In July 2022 he was made captain.[37] At the end of the 2023–24 season, he triggered a contract extension.[38]
Bradford were promoted in third place on the final day of the2024–25 season, after a 96th-minute winner in a 1–0 home win againstFleetwood Town.[39] He was named Bradford City's Player of the Year for the promotion season – one of 5 club awards he received.[40] Smallwood was also included in the division's Team of the Season.[41]
On 2 June 2025, the player said the club had not offered him a new contract and he would therefore be leaving.[42]
On 14 July 2025, Smallwood signed for League TwoTranmere Rovers on a one-year deal.[43]
He was a member of theEngland under-18 squad which defeated Austria 2–0 atHartlepool United'sVictoria Park on 16 April 2008.[44]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Middlesbrough | 2010–11[46] | Championship | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| 2011–12[47] | Championship | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| 2012–13[48] | Championship | 22 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 3 | |
| 2013–14[49] | Championship | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2014–15[21] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 60 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 72 | 4 | ||
| Rotherham United (loan) | 2013–14[49] | League One | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| 2014–15[21] | Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Rotherham United | 2014–15[21] | Championship | 40 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 1 |
| 2015–16[50] | Championship | 43 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 1 | |
| 2016–17[51] | Championship | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 1 | |
| Total | 127 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 133 | 3 | ||
| Scunthorpe United (loan) | 2016–17[51] | League One | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 19 | 1 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 2017–18[28] | League One | 46 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2[b] | 0 | 52 | 3 |
| 2018–19[52] | Championship | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | |
| 2019–20[53] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 78 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 87 | 3 | ||
| Hull City | 2020–21[33] | League One | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| 2021–22[54] | Championship | 42 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 2 | |
| Total | 69 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 74 | 2 | ||
| Bradford City | 2022–23[55] | League Two | 45 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4[c] | 0 | 52 | 3 |
| 2023–24[56] | League Two | 42 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6[b] | 0 | 51 | 1 | |
| 2024–25[57] | League Two | 43 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7[b] | 1 | 53 | 3 | |
| Total | 130 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 156 | 7 | ||
| Tranmere Rovers | 2025–26[58] | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career total | 480 | 17 | 16 | 0 | 21 | 2 | 24 | 1 | 541 | 20 | ||
Rotherham United
Blackburn Rovers
Hull City
Bradford City
Individual
