Thierry Small

Last updated

Thierry Small
Personal information
Full name Thierry Small [1]
Date of birth (2004-08-01) 1 August 2004 (age 20) [2]
Place of birth Solihull, England [3]
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.77 m) [4]
Position(s) Left-back
Team information
Current team
Charlton Athletic
Number 26
Youth career
2011–2016 West Bromwich Albion
2016–2021 Everton
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2021 Everton 0 (0)
2021–2024 Southampton 0 (0)
2022Port Vale (loan) 4 (0)
2023St Mirren (loan) 14 (0)
2023–2024St Mirren (loan) 5 (0)
2024– Charlton Athletic 36 (2)
International career
2021 England U17 1 (0)
2022 England U18 3 (0)
2024 England U20 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:10, 28 January 2025 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:59, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

Thierry Small (born 1 August 2004) is an English footballer who plays as a left-back for EFL League One club Charlton Athletic.

Contents

Small became the youngest player in Everton's history in January 2021, aged 16 years and 176 days, but turned professional with Southampton shortly after turning 17. He spent the 2022–23 season on loan at EFL League One side Port Vale and Scottish Premiership club St Mirren, returning to St Mirren on loan for the 2023–24 campaign. He joined Charlton Athletic permanently in February 2024.

Club career

Everton

Small spent time at West Bromwich Albion before joining the academy at Everton at the age of 11. [5] He made his first-team debut for Everton on 24 January 2021, coming on as a late substitute in a 3–0 FA Cup win over Sheffield Wednesday at Goodison Park. In doing so, he became the youngest player in Everton history at the age of 16 years and 176 days, breaking Jose Baxter's 2008 record by 15 days. [6] However, he feared not getting game-time under Carlo Ancelotti, with Lucas Digne and Niels Nkounkou ahead of him in the first-team pecking order, and subsequently rejected the opportunity to turn professional at Everton at the age of 17 and instead became a free agent. [7] [4] Everton coach David Unsworth said that "we made him an unbelievable offer... but when a player doesn't want to be at your club, it's very difficult to try and keep him". [8]

Southampton

On 24 August 2021, Small signed for Southampton on a three-year contract. [9] Everton rejected Southampton's offer of £1.5 million compensation, leaving the case to be decided by a tribunal. [4] Manager Ralph Hasenhüttl stated that "we have already signed a player this summer with good experience at left-back in Romain Perraud, and Thierry's arrival now gives us a very good balance and a strong additional option in that position". [10] He scored for the under-21 team in their 4–0 victory at Crawley Town in the EFL Trophy on 9 November. [11] He went on to be shortlisted for the November 2021 Premier League 2 Player of the Month award. [12] He made his first-team debut for the club in the FA Cup on 5 February 2022, in a 2–1 win over Coventry City at St Mary's. [13] On 1 February 2024, Small left the club following the mutual termination of his contract. [14]

Loan to Port Vale

On 26 July 2022, Small joined EFL League One club Port Vale on a season-long loan deal. [5] Manager Darrell Clarke experimented by playing him as a forward in the Staffordshire Senior Cup. [15] He continued to play for the Southampton youth team after not making the matchday squads at Vale Park. [16] [17] He was recalled to Southampton by new manager Nathan Jones on 11 November, with Clarke admitting that "for various reasons, he hasn't played the minutes that we would have liked" as the Vale had Mal Benning, Dan Jones and Liam McCarron to compete for the left-wing-back position. [18]

Loans to St Mirren

On 31 January 2023, Small joined Scottish Premiership club St Mirren on loan for the rest of the 2022–23 season. [19] Manager Stephen Robinson said that his arrival would provide competition for Scott Tanser on the left-hand side. [20] On 22 April, he was sent off for receiving two yellow cards in the space of 14 seconds during a 2–0 defeat to Kilmarnock at St Mirren Park; the first yellow was for dissent and the second was for a shirt pull. [21] On 24 May, he was shown a straight red card for a dangerous challenge on Bojan Miovski in a 3–0 defeat at Aberdeen. [22]

On 26 August 2023, Small rejoined St Mirren on a season-long loan. [23] On 3 January 2024, he was recalled to Southampton after six appearances during his second loan spell. [24]

Charlton Athletic

On 2 February 2024, Small joined League One club Charlton Athletic on a contract to run until the end of the 2023–24 season, with a club option of an additional year. [25] Small scored on his Charlton debut on 17 February 2024, in a 3–3 draw at Bolton Wanderers. [26]

The club confirmed in May that they had triggered the one-year extension clause in Small's contract. [27] Technical director Andy Scott said that a "long-term" contract offer had also been made. [28] On 25 January 2025, Small scored the only goal of the game against Shrewsbury Town at The Valley, describing the feeling as "unbelievable". [29] It was subsequently reported that Preston North End were closely monitoring his progress after he played well against them in the FA Cup. [30]

International career

Small has represented England at youth international level. He appeared as a second-half substitute for the under-17 side in a friendly against Watford under-23s in March 2021. [31] He made his debut for England U18s on 7 June 2022, during a 3–2 victory over Austria in Croatia. [32] This was the first of three games he played in a four-team mini-tournament that England won. [33]

On 10 November 2024, Small was called up to the under-20 squad. [34] He made his debut for the U20s on 15 November 2024, during a 4–0 victory over Germany. [35]

Style of play

Small is a powerful and pacey left-back with good ball-striking ability and stamina. [3] He can also play in central defence or on the left wing. [36]

Personal life

Small was born in England and is of Jamaican, Kittitian, and Panamanian descent. [37] He has a Panamanian grandfather. [38] Small's uncle, Bryan Small, was a professional footballer who played for Aston Villa in the Premier League and other Football League clubs. [37]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 28 January 2025 [2]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational CupLeague CupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Everton 2020–21 [39] Premier League 0010000010
Southampton 2021–22 [40] Premier League00100010
2022–23 [41] Premier League00000000
2023–24 [42] Championship 00000000
Total0010000010
Southampton U21 2021–22 [40] 1 [a] 111
Port Vale (loan) 2022–23 [41] League One 4000103 [a] 080
St Mirren (loan) 2022–23 [41] Scottish Premiership 140100000150
2023–24 [42] Scottish Premiership5000100060
Total190101000210
Charlton Athletic 2023–24 [42] League One141141
2024–25 [43] League One22130102 [a] 0281
Total362301020422
Career total592603061743
  1. 1 2 3 Appearance/s in EFL Trophy

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References

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