Kieran Phillips, a loan striker from Huddersfield Town, scored when Exeter City clinched promotion in 2022 by beating Barrow.

Kieran was in Huddersfield’s academy until the age of thirteen before moving to Everton where he became a trainee/scholar in 2016. He then suffered a serious knee injury which kept him out for two seasons. Shortly before his 20th birthday Kieran returned to Huddersfield in January 2020. A year later, in January 2021, he made his first-team debut for his hometown team as a substitute against Reading and his first start soon afterwards against Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup. All told Kieran made a total of eleven first-team appearances in 2020/21 and joined Walsall on what was intended to be a season-long loan in August 2021. After starting fifteen league games, and scoring four goals, Kieran was recalled in January 2022 within days of signing a new Huddersfield contract extending to 2025.

Almost immediately, and little more than a week after appearing for Walsall against City, Kieran arrived at St James Park on loan until the end of the season. He made his Exeter debut against Swindon on 5 February 2022 and scored his first goal at Bradford City the following week. Kieran was to only score two goals for Exeter. The second fell in the 35th minute of the game against Barrow on 26 April 2022 when the Grecians - playing in front of 7,860 - beat Barrow to clinch promotion.

Kieran subsequently joined Morecambe on a season-long loan in August 2022 and played regularly for the League One club before the arrangement was cancelled because of injury in January 2023. He later embarked on another season-long arranagement with Shrewsbury Town in August 2023 but returned to Huddersfield injured after just ten league and cup games.

Once recovered, Kieran enjoyed a loan period with Sacramento Republic between April and November 2024.