Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Ethan Benjamin Laird [1] | ||
Date of birth | 5 August 2001 | ||
Place of birth | Basingstoke, England | ||
Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.77 m) [2] | ||
Position(s) | Right-back | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Birmingham City | ||
Number | 2 | ||
Youth career | |||
–2019 | Manchester United | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2019–2023 | Manchester United | 0 | (0) |
2021 | → Milton Keynes Dons (loan) | 24 | (0) |
2021–2022 | → Swansea City (loan) | 20 | (0) |
2022 | → AFC Bournemouth (loan) | 6 | (0) |
2022–2023 | → Queens Park Rangers (loan) | 32 | (1) |
2023– | Birmingham City | 38 | (0) |
International career | |||
2017–2018 | England U17 | 5 | (0) |
2018–2019 | England U18 | 7 | (2) |
2019 | England U19 | 3 | (1) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10:35, 24 December 2024 (UTC) |
Ethan Benjamin Laird (born 5 August 2001) is an English professional footballer who plays as a right-back for EFL League One club Birmingham City.
Laird is a graduate of Manchester United's youth system and made his first-team debut for the club in a UEFA Europa League game in November 2019. He spent time on loan at Milton Keynes Dons, Swansea City, AFC Bournemouth and Queens Park Rangers. In the 2021–22 season, he helped Bournemouth gain promotion to the Premier League by finishing as runners-up in the Championship. He spent the 2022–23 season on loan at Queens Park Rangers before joining Birmingham City, who were relegated to League One at the end of his first season.
Laird has played for England at under-17, under-18 and under-19 levels. He is also eligible to represent Jamaica at international level.
Laird joined Manchester United's youth system at the age of 10. [3] He made his reserve team debut in a match against Swansea City on 18 March 2018. [4] He signed his first professional contract with the club in October 2018, [5] but less than two months later he suffered a long-term injury in a UEFA Youth League match at home to Young Boys, [6] and made just two more appearances in 2018–19.
Laird graduated to the reserve team for the 2019–20 season, and scored in the team's opening match of their EFL Trophy campaign away to Rotherham United on 6 August 2019; [7] however, he suffered another injury in a game against Reading on 16 August and was ruled out for two months. [8] After returning to action, he was included in the 20-man travelling party for the first team's UEFA Europa League match away to Partizan on 24 October, [9] but was not named in the 18-man squad for the match. After United qualified for the Europa League knockout phase, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær took a squad mostly made up of youth team players to Kazakhstan for their away game against Astana on 28 November, and named Laird as one of three players to make their senior debuts in the match, along with Di'Shon Bernard and Dylan Levitt; [10] the match finished as a 2–1 defeat. [11]
On 8 January 2021, Laird joined League One side Milton Keynes Dons on loan until the end of the 2020–21 season. [12] [13] He made his professional league debut for the club on 16 January 2021 in a 3–0 defeat away to Peterborough United. [14]
On 16 August 2021, Laird joined EFL Championship club Swansea City on loan for the duration of the 2021–22 season, reuniting with former MK Dons manager Russell Martin. [15] [16]
On 6 January 2022, Laird joined AFC Bournemouth on a short-term loan deal until the end of the season. [3]
On 15 August 2022, Laird joined Queens Park Rangers on loan until the end of the 2022–23 season. [17] On 30 August 2022, Laird scored his first senior goal with the second in an impressive 3–1 victory over Hull City, converting a cross from opposite full-back Kenneth Paal. [18]
Laird signed for another Championship club, Birmingham City, on a three-year contract on 30 June 2023; the fee was undisclosed, [19] but was reported by the Manchester Evening News as £750,000 plus add-ons and a sell-on clause. [20]
Laird is eligible to represent England or Jamaica at international level. [21] He has played youth international football for England at under-17, under-18 and under-19 levels. [22] He was a member of the under-17 squad that hosted the 2018 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. [23]
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 [24] | — | — | — | — | — | 3 [a] | 1 | 3 | 1 | ||||
2020–21 [25] | — | — | — | — | — | 1 [a] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
Total | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | ||||||
Manchester United | 2019–20 [24] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 [b] | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |
2020–21 [25] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
2021–22 [26] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
2022–23 [27] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |||
Milton Keynes Dons (loan) | 2020–21 [25] | League One | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | |
Swansea City (loan) | 2021–22 [26] | Championship | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 0 | ||
AFC Bournemouth (loan) | 2021–22 [26] | Championship | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | ||
Queens Park Rangers (loan) | 2022–23 [27] | Championship | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 1 | ||
Birmingham City | 2023–24 [28] | Championship | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 0 | ||
2024–25 [29] | League One | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 [a] | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||
Total | 38 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 45 | 0 | |||
Career total | 120 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 136 | 2 |
AFC Bournemouth
Luke Harry Chadwick is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Andrew Ronald Edward Surman is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Russell Kenneth Alexander Martin is a professional football manager and former footballer who was most recently the manager of Premier League club Southampton. He represented Scotland at international level.
Ryan Bernard Harley is an English former professional footballer who is currently assistant head coach of Swansea City.
Adam James Smith is an English professional footballer who plays as a full-back for and captains Premier League club AFC Bournemouth. He has also represented England at under-21 level.
George Henry Ivor Baldock was a professional footballer who played as a right-back or right wing-back.
Benik Tunani Afobe is a professional footballer who plays as a striker. Born in England, he represented the DR Congo national team on six occasions between 2017 and 2018.
Nicholas Edward Powell is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or as a striker for Stockport County.
Michael Vincent Keane is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Everton.
Baily James Cargill is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for EFL League One club Mansfield Town. Cargill is a left footed centre back who can also play at full back.
Regan Leslie Poole is a Welsh footballer who plays as a centre back for EFL Championship club Portsmouth and the Wales national team.
Callum James Brittain is an English professional footballer who plays as a full-back for EFL Championship club Blackburn Rovers.
Daniel Owen James is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for EFL Championship club Leeds United and the Wales national team.
Marcus Joseph Tavernier is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or winger for Premier League club AFC Bournemouth. Tavernier has also represented England at U19 and U20 level.
Andrew Lee Fisher is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for EFL Championship club Swansea City.
Ethan Robson is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL League Two club Carlisle United.
Lasse Sørensen is a Danish professional footballer who plays mainly as a wing back for EFL League One club Huddersfield Town. He is also able to play as a midfielder.
Ethan Billy Hamilton is a Scottish professional footballer who plays for EFL League One club Lincoln City as a midfielder.
Max Harrison Sanders is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL League Two club Crewe Alexandra.
Zeno Ibsen Rossi is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for EFL League One club Cambridge United.