Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Pierce Liam Sweeney [1] | ||
Date of birth | 11 September 1994 | ||
Place of birth | Dublin, Ireland | ||
Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) [2] | ||
Position(s) | Defender | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Exeter City | ||
Number | 26 | ||
Youth career | |||
2006–2012 | Belvedere | ||
2012 | Bray Wanderers | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2012 | Bray Wanderers | 12 | (0) |
2012–2016 | Reading | 0 | (0) |
2016– | Exeter City | 333 | (19) |
International career‡ | |||
2010–2011 | Republic of Ireland U17 | 2 | (0) |
2011–2013 | Republic of Ireland U19 | 6 | (0) |
2013 | Republic of Ireland U21 | 1 | (0) |
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21:00, 30 August 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 18:00, 1 August 2016 (UTC) |
Pierce Liam Sweeney (born 11 September 1994) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a defender for EFL League One side Exeter City.
Sweeney began his career at Ardmore Rovers in his hometown of Bray, before moving on to the under-13 level with Belvedere. [3]
In 2012, Sweeney joined League of Ireland Premier Division side Bray Wanderers. He made 12 appearances for the Seagulls during the 2012 season.
On 6 July 2012, Sweeney signed with then-Premier League side Reading. Although he was a member of Reading's Under 21 2013-14 Premier League Cup-winning side, on 9 May 2016, Sweeney was released by Reading without having made a first-team appearance for the club. [4]
On 22 July 2016, Sweeney signed with Exeter City as the 1931 Fund fan-funded player after a successful trial. [5] He scored two goals and an assist in Exeter's 5–1 defeat of Notts County on 8 September 2018, [6] and had already scored two additional goals before the end of September 2018.
On 11 June 2021, Sweeney signed a two-year deal with Swindon Town to begin on 1 July 2021, [7] after rejecting an offer from Exeter City. [8] His contract was terminated by mutual consent on 2 July 2021, with Sweeney stating that 'due to family circumstances at this current moment I am unable to fulfil relocating to be part of the team'. [9]
Following his abrupt departure from Swindon Town, Sweeney returned to Exeter City on 8 July 2021. [10] [11] He was vice-captain as Exeter City secured a return to League One for the first time since 2012. In June 2022, Sweeney signed a new two-year deal with the club. [12]
On 14 January 2023, in his first match as club captain following the departure of Matt Jay, Sweeney made his 300th appearance for Exeter City in all competitions. [13] At the end of the 2022–23 season, Sweeney was chosen as Exeter's Player of the Year. [14]
Sweeney has represented the Republic of Ireland at under-U17, under-U19, and under-U21 levels. [15]
Club | Season | Division | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
Bray Wanderers | 2012 [15] | LOI Premier Division | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 [a] | 0 | 13 | 0 |
Reading | 2012–13 [16] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
2013–14 [17] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
2014–15 [18] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
2015–16 [19] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
Exeter City | 2016–17 [20] | League Two | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 [b] | 0 | 37 | 0 |
2017–18 [21] | League Two | 40 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 [c] | 0 | 49 | 9 | |
2018–19 [22] | League Two | 43 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 [d] | 0 | 46 | 4 | |
2019–20 [23] | League Two | 36 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 [e] | 0 | 47 | 3 | |
2020–21 [24] | League Two | 38 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 [d] | 0 | 42 | 3 | |
2021–22 [25] | League Two | 43 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 [d] | 0 | 49 | 0 | |
2022–23 [26] | League One | 43 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 [d] | 0 | 49 | 2 | |
2023–24 [27] | League One | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 [d] | 0 | 48 | 0 | |
2024–25 [28] | League One | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 [d] | 1 | 23 | 1 | |
2025–26 [29] | League One | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
Total | 333 | 19 | 19 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 27 | 1 | 392 | 22 | ||
Career total | 345 | 19 | 19 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 28 | 1 | 405 | 22 |
Exeter City
Individual