The commanding centre-back played 40 games in total during his maiden campaign, keeping 15 clean sheets in all competitions and helping us to our highest league finish in more than 70 years. After joining from Barnsley in the summer of 2019, Ethan made his debut on the opening day of the campaign against Birmingham City. He played six of our first 16 Sky Bet Championship matches but was then an ever-present from mid-November onwards, missing just 20 minutes of league action during the remainder of the season. He contributed assists against Luton Town, Swansea City, Queens Park Rangers, and Middlesbrough before netting his first goal for the Club to earn a 1-1 draw at Birmingham City. When the season restarted, Ethan set up the opener for Bryan Mbeumo at Reading and got the dramatic late winner at home to Charlton in early July.

September’s Carabao Cup First Round win over Wycombe Wanderers saw Ethan write his name into the Brentford history books with the first competitive goal at our new home. During our 3-0 win over Fulham in Round Four, Ethan set up Saïd Benrahma for our second goal as we reached the Quarter-Final for the first time in our history. In the league, Ethan has played every minute so far this campaign, passing 50 appearances for the Club against Norwich City a fortnight ago.

Brentford FC Head Coach, Thomas Frank, said: “I think Ethan has done great since he joined us in the summer of 2019. Once he settled into the team, he has never looked back and is just getting better and better. He is dominant in his one on one duels in the air and on the ground and his aerial threat in both boxes is massive. He continues to develop when it comes to how we play, our structure in the back four, and being a leader on the pitch. You can always trust him and he always gives you at least an eight out of ten performance. I think his new deal is a huge positive for us”

Ethan came through the youth ranks at Dulwich Hamlet and made his First Team debut when he was just 16. He helped them out of the Ryman League Southern Division in 2013 and played more than 200 games for his first club before leaving for Forest Green. He had just one year in Gloucestershire, which ended with National League Play-Off Final victory before moving to Barnsley. His second season in South Yorkshire was a great success as he helped them finish second in the table and secure promotion back to the second tier. He was also named Barnsley Player of the Year and earned a spot in the PFA League One Team of the Season.