Profile
Season stats
Full career & schedule →Domestic-league season · Tranmere.
Performance data · by competition
| Competition | Apps | G | A | Min | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 League Two | 26 | 0 | 1 | 1790 | 6.95 |
 EFL Trophy | 4 | 0 | 0 | 255 | 7.25 |
 League Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 7 |
Scout report
R. Smallwood is a 35-year-old defensive midfielder at Tranmere, enjoying a standout season — 0 goals and 2 assists in 41 appearances, a Season grade of 24, top 41% of League Two defensive midfielders. On long-term scout potential he's rated 10.5, ranking 428th of 484 in the League Two. A seasoned veteran, he has been a regular starter (71.7% of available minutes). His defensive output reads 3.76 tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90. Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Smallwood.
Judged on this season alone, Smallwood graded 24 — a workmanlike campaign that ranks 15th of 37 of the 37 defensive midfielders in the League Two, on 0 goals, 2 assists and 3.759 defensive actions per 90.
Year-on-year, that's a drop on last season (Season 37 → 24). Over the 6 seasons on record his form has trended upward, peaking in 2021/22.
On long-term talent our Rating reads 11, 35th of 37 of the 37 defensive midfielders in the League Two. At 35 Smallwood is into the veteran stage, where the age curve weighs on the projection, and a market index of 0.6 reflects that trajectory.
Below his 2021/22 peak but holding a solid level — the platform for a return is there.
Output in context · Tranmere finished 21st of 24 · a lower-table side
3.76 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — solid defensive volume, with 6 clean sheets across 41 appearances. Doing that for a lower-table side (21st of 24) is harder than the bare numbers suggest: a back line under more pressure has to defend more often and protects fewer leads, so the volume — and any clean sheets — carry real weight. Going forward he chipped in 0 goals and 2 assists — a useful bonus from the back.
Strengths
- Availability. On the pitch for 71.7% of available minutes — a dependable presence in the XI.
- Defensive volume. 3.76 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — does the unseen work.
Watch points
- Age curve. At 35, both level and resale value are on the downslope.
- Level. Rates below a nailed-on top-tier starter on our model.
Outlook
With a Rating of 10.5, Smallwood carries the 35th-highest potential of the defensive midfielders in the League Two of 37, and he is posting that for a lower-table side (Tranmere finished 21st of 24) — individual numbers are harder to earn on a struggling team, so his underlying level likely sits a touch above the ranking. Defensively he reads as solid defensive volume (3.76 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90). Veteran phase — a short-term, lower-fee proposition as both level and value decline (0.6× and falling).
Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.
Season statistics
Bars = where he ranks among defensive midfielders in the League Two with 600+ minutes this season.
Shooting
Passing
Possession
Defending
Yellow/red cards
Transfer news
No transfer news found for this player.
