| Richard Smallwood | |
| Fullname: | Richard Smallwood[1] |
| Birth Date: | 1990 12, df=y |
| Birth Place: | Redcar, England[2] |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Currentclub: | Bradford City |
| Clubnumber: | 6 |
| Youthyears1: | ?–2010 |
| Youthclubs1: | Middlesbrough |
| Years1: | 2010–2014 |
| Clubs1: | Middlesbrough |
| Caps1: | 60 |
| Goals1: | 3 |
| Years2: | 2014 |
| Clubs2: | → Rotherham United (loan) |
| Caps2: | 19 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 2014–2017 |
| Clubs3: | Rotherham United |
| Caps3: | 108 |
| Goals3: | 3 |
| Years4: | 2016–2017 |
| Clubs4: | → Scunthorpe United (loan) |
| Caps4: | 16 |
| Goals4: | 1 |
| Years5: | 2017–2020 |
| Clubs5: | Blackburn Rovers |
| Caps5: | 78 |
| Goals5: | 2 |
| Years6: | 2020–2022 |
| Clubs6: | Hull City |
| Caps6: | 69 |
| Goals6: | 2 |
| Years7: | 2022– |
| Clubs7: | Bradford City |
| Caps7: | 90 |
| Goals7: | 6 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2008 |
| Nationalteam1: | England U18 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 1 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 21:45, 27 August 2024 (UTC) |
Richard Smallwood (born 29 December 1990) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for club Bradford City.
Smallwood's natural position is the holding role in the centre of midfield. He is a product of the Middlesbrough Academy and later became captain of the reserve team. At the start of the 2009–10 season, Smallwood signed his first professional contract with the club.[3] Smallwood made his debut for Middlesbrough on 19 October 2010 in a 1–0 away defeat to Nottingham Forest.[4] In January 2011, Smallwood signed an 18-month contract with the club.[5] On 2 May 2011, Smallwood scored his first goal for the club in a 3–0 win against Cardiff City.[6] On 3 November 2012, he scored his second league goal in a 4–1 win away to Charlton Athletic.[7] However, in the 2013–14 season, Smallwood lost his first team place following new arrivals.[8] Under the management of Aitor Karanka, Smallwood was among the players to be offloaded as part of Karanka's plans to reduce the squad size.[9]
On 23 January 2014, Smallwood joined Rotherham United on loan for the remainder of the 2013–14 season.[10] Shortly after arriving at Rotherham United, Smallwood quickly went straight into the first team; he was sent-off for a late challenge on Billy Knott, as Rotherham United beat Port Vale 1–0 on 21 April 2014.[11] 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.[12]
Smallwood scored the winning penalty in the shoot-out after taking the fifth penalty to win it as Rotherham secured promotion with a penalty shoot-out victory against Leyton Orient.[13] After the match, Smallwood said it was the first time he had taken a penalty in his professional career.[14] 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.[15]
Initially signed in an emergency loan deal,[16] Smallwood signed for Rotherham United on a permanent basis after Middlesbrough accepted a £175,000 bid for him.[17] [18]
Smallwood scored his first ever goal for Rotherham United in their 3–3 home draw with Derby County with a free-kick from the edge of the area.
On 31 August 2016, new Rotherham United manager Alan Stubbs sent Smallwood out on a season long loan to Scunthorpe 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 of Southend United on 10 September 2016.[19] [20] Smallwood elected to leave Rotherham United at the end of his contract, turning down an extension offered by the club.[21]
Smallwood signed a two-year contract with Blackburn Rovers on 20 June 2017.[22] He scored his first goal for Blackburn in a 3–1 EFL Cup win against Coventry City on 8 August 2017.[23] He helped Blackburn gain promotion back to the championship and became a fans favourite at Ewood Park, being referred to as the “king of ewood”.
On 11 August 2020, Smallwood signed for Hull City, on a two-year deal with an option to extend a further year.[24] Smallwood was then named as Hull City's captain for the upcoming 2020–21 season.[25] Smallwood played his first game for the club on 5 September 2020, in the first round of the EFL Cup away against Sunderland, which Hull won on penalties after a 0–0 draw.[26] He scored his first goal for Hull in a 4–1 win at Preston North End on 7 August 2021.[27]
Smallwood was released at the end of the 2021–22 season.[28]
On 22 June 2022, Smallwood signed for Bradford City on a free transfer on an initial two year deal.[29] In July 2022 he was made captain.[30]
At the end of the 2023–24 season, he triggered a contract extension.[31]
He was a member of the England under-18 squad which defeated Austria 2–0 at Hartlepool United's Victoria Park on 16 April 2008.[32]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Middlesbrough | 2010–11 | Championship | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | |
| 2011–12 | Championship | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | Championship | 22 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 3 | ||
| 2013–14 | Championship | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15 | 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 | League One | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 0 | |
| 2014–15 | Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Rotherham United | 2014–15 | Championship | 40 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 1 | |
| 2015–16 | Championship | 43 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 1 | ||
| 2016–17 | Championship | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 1 | ||
| Total | 127 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 134 | 3 | |||
| Scunthorpe United (loan) | 2016–17 | League One | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 1 | |
| Blackburn Rovers | 2017–18 | League One | 46 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 52 | 3 | |
| 2018–19 | Championship | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | 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 | League One | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 0 | |
| 2021–22 | Championship | 42 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 2 | ||
| Total | 68 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 74 | 2 | |||
| Bradford City | 2022–23 | League Two | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 2 | |
| Career total | 364 | 12 | 13 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 410 | 14 | |||
Rotherham United
2014[33]
Hull City
Individual