Will Smallbone

William Anthony Patrick Smallbone (born 21 February 2000) is a professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder. Born in England, he plays for the Republic of Ireland national team. He is a free agent.

Smallbone is a product of the Southampton academy and made his professional debut for the club in January 2020. He had loan spells with Stoke City and Millwall. Smallbone has represented the Republic of Ireland at youth and full international level.

Club career Southampton 2017–2022 On 21 February 2017, Smallbone signed a professional contract with Southampton. He made his professional debut for Southampton in a 2–0 FA Cup victory over Huddersfield Town on 4 January 2020, scoring the opening goal. On 22 February 2020, Smallbone went on to make his Premier League debut in a 2–0 victory over Aston Villa.

Having just started to appear regularly for the first team, on 16 January 2021, Smallbone suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in a 2–0 defeat at Leicester. As a result, he was expected to be out of action for up to six months. On 26 October 2021, Smallbone made his first professional appearance since his injury, replacing Stuart Armstrong in Southampton's defeat to Chelsea after a penalty shootout in the EFL Cup.

2022–2025 On 23 July 2022, Smallbone joined Stoke City on a season-long loan. He scored his first goal for Stoke in a 2–0 win at Preston North End on 15 October 2022. Smallbone was a regular under Alex Neil in 2022–23, making 46 appearances, scoring three goals as Stoke finished in 16th position.

On 28 August 2023, Smallbone signed a three-year contract extension with Southampton. He scored his first league goal for the club on 30 September 2023 in a 3–1 victory against Leeds United. On 17 May 2024, Smallbone scored the opening goal in a 3–1 victory against West Bromwich Albion in the second leg of the EFL Championship play-off semi-final, helping to secure his team's place in the final. Later that month, on 26 May, he provided an assist for Adam Armstrong in a 1–0 victory against Leeds United in the final, ensuring his club's promotion to the Premier League.

During a 3–2 home defeat against Leicester City on 19 October 2024, Smallbone made his return from an injury after he came off the bench, but manager Russell Martin feared he "tweaked" his hamstring during the game. Martin later revealed that Smallbone was expected to be sidelined for "a little bit of time" after he battled through the pain barrier to play against Leicester City. On 8 March 2025, he scored his first Premier League goal in a 3–1 defeat against Liverpool.

2025–2026 On 1 September 2025, Smallbone joined Millwall on a season-long loan. He made his first appearance for the club on 22 September in a 1–0 victory against Watford after he replaced Aidomo Emakhu in the 67th minute. After suffering a hamstring injury against Stoke City on 21 October, Smallbone was ruled out for several months. On 7 March 2026, he returned from injury in a 3–1 away victory against Hull City. At the end of March, Smallbone suffered another injury, and manager Alex Neil confirmed he was sidelined for a couple of weeks. Due to injuries, Smallbone made ten appearances for the club in all competitions.

International career Smallbone qualified to play for the Republic of Ireland through his Kilkenny-born mother. Smallbone made his debut for Republic of Ireland U21s against Italy U21s in October 2020. On 3 June 2022, he scored his first goals for the Republic of Ireland U21 team, scoring a brace in a 3–0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina U21 at Tallaght Stadium. He followed that up by scoring a volley from outside the box three days later, to open the scoring in an eventual 3–1 win over Montenegro U21.

In November 2022, Smallbone was included in Stephen Kenny's senior squad for forthcoming friendlies. He made his debut on 22 March 2023 in a friendly match against Latvia, which ended in a 3–2 victory. He won Player of the Match award for his display against Latvia.

Personal life Smallbone was diagnosed with alopecia in 2021 whilst recovering from his ACL injury. In December 2022, he became an ambassador for Alopecia UK.

Career statistics Club + Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals

2016–17

2017–18

2018–19

2019–20

2021–22 Premier League

2021–22 Premier League

2023–24 Championship

2024–25 Premier League

2025–26 Championship

Stoke City (loan) 2022–23 Championship

Millwall (loan) 2025–26

Honours Southampton EFL Championship play-offs: 2024