Will Smallbone
Last club: Southampton
Will Smallbone is a 26-year-old central midfielder who progressed through Southampton’s academy and made 90 senior appearances for the club across all competitions. He gained further Championship experience during loan spells with Stoke City and Millwall, while his most productive campaign came back at Southampton in 2023/24. Smallbone registered seven goals in 50 appearances that season, scoring in the play-off semi-final against West Bromwich Albion before supplying the assist for Adam Armstrong’s winner against Leeds United at Wembley. He has also played 15 times for the Republic of Ireland after making his senior international debut in 2023.
Smallbone has already demonstrated that he can be an influential Championship midfielder, combining technical quality with the ability to contribute in decisive matches. He offers top-flight experience, international pedigree and familiarity with the demands of a promotion campaign, all while still being young enough to have several productive seasons ahead of him. Injuries restricted him to ten appearances during a loan at Millwall in 2025/26, so prospective clubs would need to assess his fitness, but a healthy Smallbone could provide creativity, composure and proven Championship quality without requiring a transfer fee.
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