Brentford Football Club are pleased to announce the signing of Ethan Brierley from Rochdale on a three-year contract with a club option of an additional year. He will link up with Neil MacFarlane’s Brentford B with the deal subject to completion upon the opening of the summer transfer window.

Ethan joins having made 25 league appearances in the 2022/23 campaign for Rochdale in Sky Bet League Two where he netted twice and made six assists. He also featured for the side in the Carabao Cup and the Emirates FA Cup.

The 19-year-old midfielder is a product of Rochdale’s academy and he rose through the ranks before he signed his first professional contract in November 2020. He made his senior debut for the side during the 2020/21 season as Rochdale faced Huddersfield Town in the Carabao Cup.

The youngster will now make the move to West London to continue his development with the B team, who recently enjoyed success as they lifted the Premier League Cup at the Gtech Community Stadium. Following that they rounded off their 2022/23 season with a 3-2 win over Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad in the Robert Rowan Invitational.

Discussing Ethan’s arrival, B team head coach Neil MacFarlane said: “Ethan is a terrific talent. He has a real eagerness to improve himself every single day out on the grass. He comes to us having played men’s football at a young age. He played for a Rochdale side that have had a difficult season, but he was still able to flourish and perform at such a high level to assist, score, and be creative from the middle of the park.

“We’re hugely excited to play a role in the next stage of his development. He is an all-round midfielder who will handle the ball and he’s somebody we will look to improve, as we do with all of the players who step foot in the building.”