Richard Smallwood (footballer)

Richard Smallwood
Smallwood in 2022
Personal information
Full name Richard Smallwood
Date of birth (1990-12-29) 29 December 1990
Place of birth Redcar, England
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Bristol Rovers
Tranmere Rovers)
Youth career
Redcar Town
–2010 Middlesbrough
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2014 Middlesbrough 60 (3)
2014Rotherham United (loan) 19 (0)
2014–2017 Rotherham United 108 (3)
2016–2017Scunthorpe 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 26 (0)
2026– Bristol Rovers (loan) 0 (0)
International career
2008 England U18 1 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17:56, 3 February 2026 (UTC)

Richard Smallwood (born 29 December 1990) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Bristol Rovers on loan from EFL League Two club Tranmere Rovers.

Born in Redcar, he signed his first professional deal with local side Middlesbrough in 2009. He was sent out on loan to Rotherham United in 2014 where he scored the winning penalty in the 2014 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 with Scunthorpe United, he signed for recently relegated League One club Blackburn Rovers in 2017. He was an ever-present for Blackburn in his first season as the club were promoted back to the Championship. Smallwood left Blackburn in 2020 for Hull City where he would win the League One title in his first season. After two seasons with Hull, Smallwood moved to League Two club Bradford 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 the League Two Team of the Season. He subsequently joined Tranmere Rovers in 2025.