Will Smallbone has been at Southampton since he was eight years old. He came through the academy, made his debut, scored his first professional goal and became a Republic of Ireland international while wearing the red and white stripes.
That story deserves respect. So does the decision that now needs to be made.
His contract expires on June 30th. Southampton should let him go and wish him well.
A career disrupted by injury
The numbers tell a difficult story. Smallbone has suffered from injuries relatively consistently over the past two seasons, missing 51 games since 2024, according to Transfermarkt.
Here is how his career seasons compare:
Season | Club | Apps | Goals | Assists | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022-23 | Stoke (loan) | 43 | 3 | 5 | 6.92 |
2023-24 | Southampton | 46 | 7 | 4 | 7.12 |
2024-25 | Southampton | 18 | 1 | 0 | 6.52 |
2025-26 | Millwall (loan) | 9 | 0 | 0 | 6.60 |
The 2023-24 season was the peak. In that campaign, Smallbone ranked in the top 92.4 percentile of Championship central midfielders for pass accuracy, 90.2 for chances created and 83.3 for tackles won percentage. That was a player operating at a very high level.
What followed was a sharp drop. A groin injury disrupted his 2024-25 season badly. Then a calf problem delayed his Millwall debut. A hamstring injury in October 2025 ruled him out until March 2026. He returned to make nine Championship appearances for the Lions, contributing no goals and no assists.
A difficult summer conversation
Smallbone joined Southampton as an eight-year-old and rose through the academy to make 90 senior appearances for the club, scoring nine times. That kind of loyalty and service should never be dismissed lightly.
But football is not sentimental. Southampton face a Championship season starting on minus four points. They need fit, available players who can handle a long campaign. Smallbone's injury record over the past two years makes that a genuine question.
His market value currently sits at around £1.8 million, which means there is no meaningful transfer fee to be gained either. Triggering any contract extension option would mean paying wages to a player whose fitness cannot be guaranteed.
Millwall would reportedly consider signing him permanently, which at least offers a soft landing for a player who clearly still has something to give when fit.
Will Smallbone has been a wonderful servant to Southampton. His 2023-24 season under Russell Martin was genuinely excellent, and in another world where promotion had arrived, releasing him would have been the easiest call in the building.
Southampton did not go up. But the call is still easy.
Thank him properly, let him leave on a free and give him the send-off his loyalty deserves.
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