When Will Smallbone was selected to start for Ireland against Latvia few could have envisioned just how excellent a performance he was about to deliver. It's therefore no surprise that his current club side, Stoke City, are keen to secure his loan services again for next season.
Smallbone won the 'Player of the match' award for his display and played key roles in Ireland's first two goals in their 3-2 victory. His recent career at club level has been impressive too and he finally feels like his luck is beginning to turn.
Speaking to The Athletic the midfielder said, "this is my first full season of playing football. I’ve really enjoyed playing week in, week out and finding a way to get myself fit and through games. That was something I needed to prove to other people — but to myself more importantly. I needed to prove mentally I could stay fit because I always just seemed to be breaking down.
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“I had the big knee injury and then a reoccurring calf injury — I kept asking myself when it was going to stop and allow me to play football. Hopefully, touch wood, I’ve got myself back towards that this year."
That knee injury marked a period is his career that he is reluctant to delve into. Understandable, considering it cost him 10-months just as he was breaking into Southampton's first team. It occured during a league game with Leicester City. After a collision with Timothy Castagne, Smallbone decided to play on, assuming it was just a minor knock to his knee. Little did he know just how serious it was. The resulting anterior cruciate ligament injury kept him sidelined for the majority of 2021.
"It’s horrible. It’s not something I really want to think back to. Because I played on, I didn’t expect the news to be as bad as it was. When the doctor told me it was my ACL, the first thing you think is the time (you’ll be) out. I didn’t realise how tough it would be: after having surgery, I literally could not do anything. It felt like my legs had been taken away and I needed everyone to help me.”
Smallbone’s recovery from injury, during the Covid pandemic era, was then hampered by yet more bad news. A diagnosis of Alopecia.
"It started a bit before my injury,” Smallbone says. “I remember in the Leicester game I had a patch on the back of my head. Because I had longish hair at that point, it was coverable. I then went on to have the injury. I don’t know if it was stress-related, but it just started falling out.”
He bravely decided to shave it all off. In an industry where any slight perceived weakness or physical defect is piled upon by opposition fans it could be described as a sensible move. He was just 21 at the time and so felt that and the knee injury were something of a 'double whammy'.
"It took me a long time to get over it,” he says. “I’d say I’m still trying to get over it now. You get called all sorts, so it was tough — especially when I first came back and was on the bench. I would warm up and people would shout stuff. It’s not nice. You laugh it off but, deep down, it gets to you. I can’t thank my family enough for their support in helping me accept it and be normal, as such.”
Such tests of confidence and resilience may prove in the long run to be extremely beneficial. He's also now an ambassador for charity, Alopecia UK.
On the pitch the last 18 months have seen a gradual improvement in fortune. The 23-year old was keen on getting away from Southampton post-injury in order to secure more game time and prove to himself he still had what it takes.
Having those setbacks and getting my confidence back has been key,” he says. “Before Stoke, sometimes I wasn’t sure going into games because it had been such a long time since I had a run of matches where I could feel comfortable.
“But this year, I’ve learned a lot from games where I haven’t played well. It has helped define my position and what my strengths are. The gaffer (Alex Neil) likes me being a running No. 8 or 10. We have Gayley (33-year-old striker Dwight Gayle) — who won’t mind me saying — is probably not as sharp as he used to be. So he will come to feet and me, with my legs, running in behind has worked a lot.”
During his time at Stoke he has been utilised mostly on the right-side of a midfield three. His ability to play with both feet and his elegant yet balanced playing style has complemented this perfectly. It is from here that he has provided five assists and three goals in The Championship this season.
"It gives me the freedom to drop deep, but also stretch in behind.”
Having this set position is in contrast to the various jobs and positions ex-Southampton manager Ralph Hassenhuttl had him playing at The Saints. He was often deployed across a front six in a 4-2-2-2 formation which he says wasn't best suited to his skillset. "That formation probably didn’t suit me as a player, because when I was out on the right — it’s not my game, I would then play up front, which is probably not my game either!
“As a six in a midfield, it’s quite a big position, especially in the Premier League. So I could understand everyone’s tentativeness to put me in as a double six. I always believed I could do it but I was happy to come on loan because it meant I’d get minutes in a position that I saw myself playing.”
Southampton and Hassenhuttl both recognised Smallbone's desire to go out on loan and facilitated the move to Stoke where he linked up with Ireland U21s assistant coach John O'Shea. This summer will see him return to the UK's south coast and he's confident another loan move will not be required. There's no guarantee that Southampton will be playing top-flight football next season but regardless of where they end up, Smallbone feels ready to make an impact at The Saints.
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