Brierley, Ethan
Birth Date
23rd November 2003
Birthplace
Rochdale, Lancashire
Occupation
Midfielder
Biographical Text
Ethan Brierley, then twenty-one, joined Exeter City on loan from Brentford in June 2025. A successful member of Brentford's B team, he had started his career with Rochdale and later played for Huddersfield Town.
Arriving at Spotland in 2020 as a scholar/trainee, he made his debut as as a sixteen-year-old in September 2020. Making sporadic league and cup appearances over the next eighteen months, he had a loan spell with Spennymoor towards the end of the 2021/22 campaign.
Having signed a contract extension until the end of the 2023/24 season, Rochdale were apparently ready to sell Ethan but proposed moves to Sheffield United and Blackburn Rovers fell through during the early months of 2023. But, with the club relegated from the Football League in May 2023, he was soon to depart his hometown for Brentford having made 32 league appearances (scoring twice). Arriving in West London on a three-year deal, he only made a solitary League Cup substiture during his first two seasons even though he was showing impressive form with a successful Brentford 'B side.
Subsequently in late June 2025 it was announced that Ethan would be spending the third year of his Brentford contract on loan with Exeter City following in the footsteps of recent loanees Ryan Treveitt and Tony Yogane. He had aleady played at St James' Park several months earlier when he captained Brentford to a 1-0 victory over City in the Premier League Cup.
Making his Exeter debut in the opening-day defeat at Doncaster Rovers on 2 August 2025, he quickly proved himself as a regular starter and more-than-worthwhile temporary signing. With twenty-eight league and cup appearances to date, and just three from the bench, he was a member of the team that lost 10-1 at Manchester City in the FA Cup in January 2026.
Arriving at Spotland in 2020 as a scholar/trainee, he made his debut as as a sixteen-year-old in September 2020. Making sporadic league and cup appearances over the next eighteen months, he had a loan spell with Spennymoor towards the end of the 2021/22 campaign.
Having signed a contract extension until the end of the 2023/24 season, Rochdale were apparently ready to sell Ethan but proposed moves to Sheffield United and Blackburn Rovers fell through during the early months of 2023. But, with the club relegated from the Football League in May 2023, he was soon to depart his hometown for Brentford having made 32 league appearances (scoring twice). Arriving in West London on a three-year deal, he only made a solitary League Cup substiture during his first two seasons even though he was showing impressive form with a successful Brentford 'B side.
Subsequently in late June 2025 it was announced that Ethan would be spending the third year of his Brentford contract on loan with Exeter City following in the footsteps of recent loanees Ryan Treveitt and Tony Yogane. He had aleady played at St James' Park several months earlier when he captained Brentford to a 1-0 victory over City in the Premier League Cup.
Making his Exeter debut in the opening-day defeat at Doncaster Rovers on 2 August 2025, he quickly proved himself as a regular starter and more-than-worthwhile temporary signing. With twenty-eight league and cup appearances to date, and just three from the bench, he was a member of the team that lost 10-1 at Manchester City in the FA Cup in January 2026.
Thereafter featuring in a side that experienced a dramatic downturn in form over the final twenty games of the season, Ethan was involved until the forty-fourth match of the campaign against Stockport County. Omitted from the final two games, including the final day defeat to Bradford City that confirmed the Grecians' relegation, he returned to Brentford after making forty-seven appearances in all competitions scoring once against Stevenage.
Within weeks of returning to West London Ethan joined Huddersfield Town on a permanent basis on the eve of the 2026/27 season.
Appearances
Exeter City
League 42, Cups 5 (47)
League 42, Cups 5 (47)
Goals
League 1
Collection
Files
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