| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Pierce Liam Sweeney[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1994-09-11)11 September 1994 (age 31) | ||
| Place of birth | Dublin, Ireland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[2] | ||
| Position | 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 | 334 | (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 19:51, September 7, 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 professionalfootballer who plays as adefender forEFL League One sideExeter City.
Sweeney began his career at Ardmore Rovers in his hometown ofBray, before moving on to the under-13 level withBelvedere.[3]
In 2012, Sweeney joinedLeague of Ireland Premier Division sideBray Wanderers. He made 12 appearances for the Seagulls during the2012 season.
On 6 July 2012, Sweeney signed with then-Premier League sideReading. Although he was a member of Reading's Under 212013-14Premier 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 withExeter 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 withSwindon 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 fromSwindon Town, Sweeney returned toExeter City on 8 July 2021.[10][11] He was vice-captain asExeter City secured a return toLeague 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 ofMatt Jay, Sweeney made his 300th appearance forExeter City in all competitions.[13] At the end of the2022–23 season, Sweeney was chosen as Exeter's Player of the Year.[14]
Sweeney has represented theRepublic of Ireland atunder-U17,under-U19, andunder-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 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 334 | 19 | 19 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 27 | 1 | 393 | 22 | ||
| Career total | 346 | 19 | 19 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 28 | 1 | 406 | 22 | ||
Exeter City
Individual
