![]() Galbraith playing for Manchester United U18s in 2017 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Ethan Stuart William Galbraith [1] | ||
Date of birth | [2] | 11 May 2001||
Place of birth | Glengormley, Northern Ireland [3] | ||
Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) [4] | ||
Position(s) | Central midfielder | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Swansea City | ||
Number | 30 | ||
Youth career | |||
Carnmoney Colts | |||
Ballyclare Comrades | |||
Glentoran | |||
Crusaders | |||
–2017 | Linfield | ||
2017–2019 | Manchester United | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2019–2023 | Manchester United | 0 | (0) |
2021–2022 | → Doncaster Rovers (loan) | 33 | (1) |
2022–2023 | → Salford City (loan) | 32 | (4) |
2023–2025 | Leyton Orient | 78 | (10) |
2025– | Swansea City | 4 | (0) |
International career‡ | |||
2016–2017 | Northern Ireland U17 | 5 | (0) |
2018 | Northern Ireland U19 | 3 | (0) |
2019–2022 | Northern Ireland U21 | 19 | (1) |
2019– | Northern Ireland | 7 | (0) |
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18:00, 30 August 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 23:54, 10 June 2025 (UTC) |
Ethan Stuart William Galbraith (born 11 May 2001) is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Championship club Swansea City and the Northern Ireland national team.
Galbraith left Linfield to join the Manchester United academy in 2017. He made his first-team debut for United in a UEFA Europa League match against Astana in November 2019. He spent the 2021–22 season on loan at Doncaster Rovers. Galbraith represented Northern Ireland at under-17, under-19, under-21 levels. He made his senior international debut at the age of 18, against Luxembourg, in September 2019.
Galbraith played for Carnmoney Colts, Ballyclare Comrades, Glentoran, Crusaders and Linfield in his youth. [5] In 2017, he left Linfield and joined the youth academy of English club Manchester United on a one-year scholarship, before signing a two-year professional contract with the club in May 2018. [6] On 28 November 2019, he made his senior debut in a UEFA Europa League match against Kazakh team Astana, coming on as an 89th-minute substitute for Tahith Chong. [7] In October 2020, Galbraith signed a new three-year contract with United, with the option of an extra year. [8]
He joined League One club Doncaster Rovers on a season-long loan in August 2021. [9] On 26 October, Galbraith scored his first goal for Doncaster, scoring the equaliser in a 1–1 draw with Cambridge United with a strike from 30 yards. [10] Manager Richie Wellens praised his performances, predicting that he would go on to have a long and successful career. [11] Galbraith described his spell at Doncaster as a "great experience" despite the team being relegated. [12]
On 1 September 2022, Galbraith joined League Two side Salford City on a season-long loan, managed by former United youth coach Neil Wood. [13] He scored his first goal for the club on 8 October in a 1–0 win against Northampton Town, Salford's first win against their opponents. [14]
On 16 May 2023, Galbraith confirmed that he will leave Manchester United at the end of 2022–23 season. [15]
On 29 June 2023, Galbraith signed for Leyton Orient. [16]
On 4 July 2025, Galbraith signed for Swansea City for an undisclosed fee and on a three-year contract, with an option for an additional 12 months. [17] He made his debut on 9 August 2025, starting in a 0–1 loss against Middlesbrough. [18] He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–1 EFL Cup first round win over Crawley Town, scoring the third in stoppage time via a volley from outside of the box. [19] [20]
Galbraith made five appearances for Northern Ireland at under-17 level and three appearances at under-19 level. [21] He has made 19 appearances and scored one goal at under-21 level. [21] Galbraith made his senior international debut at the age of 18 on 5 September 2019, in a friendly match against Luxembourg which finished as a 1–0 win. [22]
Northern Ireland manager Ian Baraclough described Galbraith as the country's version of Spanish international midfielders Xavi and Andrés Iniesta. [23] Neil Wood has described him as technically gifted, and as a player who "can pick a pass and has all the different varieties of delivery". [24]
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Manchester United U21 | 2019–20 [25] | — | — | — | — | — | 3 [a] | 1 | 3 | 1 | ||||
2020–21 [26] | — | — | — | — | — | 1 [a] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | ||
Manchester United | 2019–20 [25] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 [b] | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
2020–21 [26] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
2021–22 [27] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
2022–23 [28] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
Doncaster Rovers (loan) | 2021–22 [27] | League One | 33 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 [a] | 0 | 36 | 1 | |
Salford City (loan) | 2022–23 [28] | League Two | 32 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 [a] | 0 | 38 | 4 | |
Leyton Orient | 2023–24 [29] | League One | 39 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 3 [a] | 1 | 45 | 5 | |
2024–25 [30] | League One | 39 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 5 [c] | 0 | 51 | 6 | ||
Total | 78 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 96 | 11 | ||
Swansea City | 2025-26 [31] | Championship | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 3 | 1 | ||
Career total | 145 | 15 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 178 | 18 |
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Northern Ireland | 2019 | 1 | 0 |
2020 | 1 | 0 | |
2024 | 2 | 0 | |
2025 | 3 | 0 | |
Total | 7 | 0 |