Tyler Dibling & Adam Armstrong react to big Southampton FC player exit | OneFootball

Tyler Dibling and Adam Armstrong have reacted to Will Smallbone's Southampton exit message

Southampton will be playing Championship football once again next season after a chaotic end to the most recent campaign, as the Saints begin laying the foundations for next year with some surprise exits.

Indeed, few fans will have ever experienced the highs and the lows that Southampton supporters did at the end of last season.

Having endured an incredible run in the second half of the year, losing just one of their final 22 games in all competitions, defeating Fulham and Arsenal on their way to an FA Cup semi-final, and launching themselves into the play-offs, where they would defeat Middlesbrough in the semi-finals 2-1 over two legs.

However, Southampton were soon found guilty of spying on their opponents, including Boro, and as a result, were kicked out of the play-offs, and any chance they had of promotion was snatched away in an instant, much to the disappointment and anger of the supporters.

Eckert received a huge degree of flak for his role in the saga, but the German head coach looks to remarkably remain in charge at St Mary's ahead of next season, where key decisions regarding the contracts of current players have already been made.

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When Southampton released their retained list for the year, there were some surprise names on there, with the most notable ones being those of Ross Stewart and Will Smallbone.

Stewart, 29, turned down a fresh deal at St Mary's this summer and, three years after his £12 million move from Sunderland, is set to become a free agent, whilst Smallbone, 26, ends his 18-year stay in Hampshire at the end of his current deal.

The 15-capped Irish midfielder has made 90 appearances for the Saints across all competitions, but spent the most recent season out on loan with Championship rivals Millwall, but a hamstring issue severely limited his game time at The Den to just 333 minutes in total.

Now, the midfielder is set to be on the lookout for a new employer over the coming weeks and months, and has since taken to Instagram to send a message to Southampton and their supporters, with some familiar names responding in the comments.

In his message, Smallbone thanked the club, the fans, the staff, and his teammates over the years, and went on to wish Southampton nothing but the best in the future.

Two former recognisable teammates decided to respond to his post, namely Tyler Dibling and Adam Armstrong, with Dibling having left the Saints last summer in a £40 million deal to Everton, whilst Armstrong left in the recent January window to join Wolverhampton Wanderers for a potential £9 million.

Dibling responded simply with a '❤️', whilst Armstrong said: 'All the best brother! Spent some amazing memories together! Top top player and even better person ❤️❤️'.

Indeed, both Smallbone and Armstrong featured heavily under Russell Martin during Southampton's promotion campaign in 2024, with both starting in the play-off final against Leeds United, with the Irishman assisting Armstrong for the only goal of the game.

Dibling, meanwhile, would only share the pitch with Smallbone during the 2024/25 season as the Saints were relegated, but has decided to send his former teammate some love following his Southampton exit.

Now, the 26-year-old will be aiming to play consistently once again after recurring injury problems, and with nearly a century of second-tier appearances to his name, he ought to be in high demand this summer.

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After 18 years at the club, Smallbone has achieved a childhood dream by representing his boyhood club in both the first and second divisions, and playing a crucial role in the club's promotion to the Premier League.

His departure, considering his injury record, is not necessarily a surprise, but it has divided opinion amongst the Southampton fanbase.

This Saints supporter clearly feels that Smallbone still had a role to contribute in Eckert's side, especially with several other midfielders expected to depart the club this summer.

This Southampton fan believes Smallbone is due a good move this summer, wherever that may be, after 18 years of solid service to the Saints.

Whilst not a Southampton fan, Smallbone clearly has admirers elsewhere in the Championship, including West Brom, and should have no trouble finding another club next season.