Richie Smallwood still has much to offer – that’s why Bradford City had to let him go.

By Jason McKeown

The Austrian hills are alive with the sound of Bradford City players cycling to improve their fitness, and a small part of Birkenhead is alive with Richie Smallwood signing a contract to play for Tranmere Rovers in 2025/26.

The world moves quickly, and the Bantams are preparing for an assault on League One without the significant presence of the man who captained and won every player of the season award during their successful promotion from League Two. It was undoubtedly a difficult summer for Smallwood, as he grappled with being offered and then denied a contract to stay with City.

Given the circumstances, League Two Tranmere is an excellent choice for a player who has spent his entire playing career in the North. To put it another way, Smallwood could one day be a strong candidate for the Huddersfield Town manager position.

There is no doubt that Graham Alexander’s decision to let Smallwood go is a big one, possibly one of the most important he has made since taking over at Valley Parade. Alexander explained why he changed his mind about keeping Smallwood during a recent appearance on the Greatness on Demand podcast.

He describes driving to the North East to tell Smallwood in person that he didn’t expect his captain to play every week this season, and that this could be a difficult situation for the player to deal with.

Smallwood, understandably, disagreed, saying he expected himself to play more frequently than Alexander predicted. This may have been true, but it missed the point. Smallwood would undoubtedly be an excellent backup option, but he would likely struggle to accept the reduced level of responsibility, especially after a season in which he was almost always present.

On the same podcast, Alexander discussed his own playing days, including how he refused to accept suggestions from his then-managers to rest him, even as he grew older. He described Smallwood as his colonel, and he clearly knew the player inside and out – and from his own perspective, he probably knew Smallwood better than Smallwood knew himself. Specifically, how he would mentally deal with being on the sidelines. There are many examples of players who struggled in this situation.

Alexander was discussing all of this with Greatness on Demand podcast co-host Dean Windass, who was released from Premier League Hull City in January 2009 after publicly complaining about a lack of first-team opportunities.

At City, we had two players in the Smallwood mould who faced similar challenges. Stuart McCall, like Smallwood, devoted his entire life to the cause and maintained a significant influence even as he grew older.

McCall was famously left out of Scotland’s World Cup squad for France 1998, with manager Craig Brown claiming he would be a negative influence if he didn’t play. Phil Parkinson let Gary Jones leave Valley Parade in 2014, despite the fact that it seemed logical to keep the veteran on the team the following season.

Parkinson never explained why he released Jones, but the midfielder’s all-action style made it difficult for him to accept a role as backup.

There is something about the identity of these types of players that makes them thrive and lead everyone else in the trenches, but struggle and possibly pout on the sidelines.

They build their reputations on covering every blade of grass, giving absolutely everything to the cause, which attracts admiration and affection of team-mates, manager and supporters. Taking away their ability to be so influential (by leaving them out the team) is like metaphorically chopping their arms off. What are they if they’re not allowed to give 110%?

Windass talks on the podcast about how he always wanted to be the best player in the team he is playing for.

Alexander says he was built differently, and his drive was to be the person who everyone else in the team could rely on. The one who will always be available for a pass and to set others up. At the heart of both is an overwhelming desire to have purpose and to make a difference. And it’s a lot harder to do either of those things when you’re collecting splinters on the bench.

Small woos is clearly built like Alexander, Windass, McCall, and Jones. He had his flaws in City, but effort and bravery were not among them. If anything, he tried too hard (those bloomin’ set pieces! ), but his desire to win was contagious.

Smallwood set an example for others to follow, assisting everyone around him in meeting the significant challenge of performing in front of a demanding Bradford audience. He could have done well for City next season, but playing 25-30 games instead of 50+ would have been difficult for him to accept.

He’d probably been a regular knocker on Alexander’s door, asking why he wasn’t in the starting lineup. And whilst there is no reason to doubt his professionalism for one second, who knows what weeks and months of not being a guaranteed starter would have done to his outlook and influence on the squad?

Alexander played over 1,000 games, including his Premier League debut at 37, three years older than Smallwood is now.

He will understand better than anyone that Smallwood may still have a lot of gas in the tank and that another 150-200 career games are not out of reach. However, Smallwood will not be able to do so while still a City player this season, so it is best for the player and possibly the Bantams’ squad morale if he finds gametime elsewhere.

All in all, Tranmere have made an excellent signing. And there’s no reason why he won’t have a fantastic season at Prenton Park, taking on a senior role and emerging as Rovers’ star player.

And as he does, we will cheer him on from afar, remembering what we did for Bradford City. There will undoubtedly be days when we miss him, but Smallwood’s future career has more potential than a part-time squad player.