Mark Hughes’s Bradford City rebuild: Richie Smallwood turns ‘disappointing’ Hull City exit into Bantams opportunity

Richie Smallwood has experienced plenty of that in his career to date and lived to tell the tale.

The closing of the door in terms of his time ending at last club Hull City may have been abrupt and ‘a bit disappointing’ in his words, but the welcome mat has been quickly laid out across Yorkshire at Bradford City.

Despite being a vital cog in the Tigers’ side over the past two seasons – and being highly popular with players, management and fans alike – the club captain was released at the end of 2021-22.

Smallwood’s deal expired and despite Hull having an option year clause inserted into his deal at their discretion, it was not taken up. Reports claimed that the 31-year-old was offered a one-year extension, but he begs to differ.

Hull, in mitigation, have brought in other players in Smallwood’s role and would opine that he would not have featured anything like as much if he’d stayed.

Yet there is no shying away from the fact that it was not an ideal end to his time in East Yorkshire.

Smallwood remains philosophical at the end of the day. He has been around the game long enough to know that is the business, even if it is an unpleasant one at times. To survive and prosper, you move on.

Smallwood told The Yorkshire Post: “It was a bit disappointing, to be fair, with how it ended. I felt like I had a really good season.

“Probably my best season in the Championship that I have had over the course of my career.

“I played 42 games and I think the impact in the team spoke for itself. In the games I didn’t play, the team didn’t win and I think that speaks volumes.

“And then I was disappointed in the way there was no contract or anything. No new terms and not even the option taken.

“It was a bit disappointing in just finding out literally two minutes before the retained list. It was certainly not ideal.

“But I have been around the game for a number of years and it is a different business and it is out on its own really. They (clubs) don’t look after the players in the way they should.

“It is one of those things. You have to put it behind you and move on.

“I really enjoyed my time there, had success and gave it my all. It’s a shame there was nothing there, but it is a new challenge now and I will hopefully hit the ground running and play as well as I did last season.”

Hull’s loss certainly looks to be Bradford’s gain.

Smallwood’s CV in terms of getting out of the lower leagues is mightily impressive.

The Teessider boasts a hat-trick of promotions from the third tier with Hull, Rotherham United and Blackburn Rovers and it is not pushing it to say that the only fourth-tier club who had any realistic chance of luring him was Bradford.

Smallwood is one of those undemonstrative, hugely efficient and effective players who every successful side needs. He may not catch the eye in terms of wonder strikes or dribbling around opponents, but he oils the wheels.

Just ask Hull, Blackburn and Millers fans. His record speaks for itself. He may not be an eye-catcher, but you don’t half notice him when he is not around.

On dropping down into League Two and how the move transpired, Smallwood, who had also been linked with Peterborough United – managed by ex-Tigers head coach Grant McCann – added: “It was basically done a couple of weeks beforehand, but I was away on holiday and then there was a bank holiday and I couldn’t get in to sign.

“I rang the manager as I gave him my word I would be signing and assured him that I would as soon as I was back. As soon as I was back, I was in Bradford and signing.

“There was a little (rival) interest, but nothing concrete. Just initial talks seeing where we were at and nothing really came of them. In football, you cannot afford to be waiting around or clubs will be signing someone else. Once I was speaking to Bradford, it was pretty much done.”

As with all of Bradford’s pre-season signings, the Mark Hughes factor was a highly significant consideration in joining.

Smallwood, who started his career at hometown club Middlesbrough, said: “As soon as I came in, the players couldn’t speak highly enough of when he came in compared to the previous months and years.

“Obviously, speaking to him, he is a legend of the game. I remember watching him myself and he was a great player and is a great man. It’s just nice to be playing for a legend of the game and I cannot wait to get going.”

The quirks of fate are such that Smallwood will face his old club Hull in the first round of the EFL Cup on August 9. When the draw was made, it soon raised a smile.

He commented: “We were watching in the canteen and then it came through. Something like that always happens in football, doesn’t it?

“It will be a nice occasion and even better now it is on TV.”