New Falkirk signing Ethan Laidlaw has promised fans an exciting brand of football after returning to Scotland with a wealth of experience from the English Premier League. The 21-year-old striker joined the Bairns on a two-year deal from Brentford, with an option for a further 12 months.
Premier League Education
Laidlaw spent three years at Brentford after leaving Hibernian's academy for a six-figure fee. During his time in London, he scored 15 goals and provided 10 assists for the Bees' B team. He also had the opportunity to share a pitch with stars like Paul Pogba and Eric Dier in a friendly against Monaco at their state-of-the-art training centre.
Speaking exclusively to Record Sport, Laidlaw said: “I was at Hibs before and my time there was really good. At that age I just probably wasn’t ready to make that step into the first-team there. So going down to Brentford gave me all the education I needed.”
Learning On and Off the Pitch
The forward highlighted how his time in England helped him grow both as a player and a person. “Some things were off the pitch, some things were on the pitch I learned at Brentford. I was just by myself so I learned a lot about myself. I learned a lot about different styles of play,” he added.
Laidlaw believes the move to Falkirk under manager John McGlynn is the perfect next step. “I come here as an adult and I went down there as a boy. Right now is the perfect time to come to somewhere like this,” he said.
Exciting Style of Play
Laidlaw, who can play as a central striker or out wide, is determined to entertain the Falkirk faithful. “I want to bring people along to games, I want people to want to come to watch us as a team and me especially. That’s the type of player I am. I’m never going to get the ball and try to pass it backwards and make the game boring. I want to excite people,” he declared.
He cited the example of fellow striker Barney Stewart, who progressed from tier seven to an 18-goal season under McGlynn, as inspiration. “It’s down to him as a player, coming and getting better. And it’s obviously down to the manager – he has made a lot of players better,” Laidlaw noted.
Injury Comeback and Form
A shoulder injury disrupted Laidlaw's last season, but he returned strongly in the second half, scoring 12 goals in his final 12 games and being named Brentford B Players' Player of the Year. “The second half of the season is when I actually got a rhythm and I played with a bit of freedom, a bit of confidence. But I know, if I play like that, I can take that into here and that’s what excites me about coming here,” he said.
Laidlaw is eager to reunite with McGlynn and his assistant Paul Smith, who previously managed his father Steven at Berwick Rangers. He believes the club's philosophy aligns with his own ambitions. “Even going back to the Championship and League One days, nothing’s changed, it’s still the exact same way. Which makes me, as a player, know that if we do go away to Parkhead, we’re not going to change, we’re going to play the exact same way. We’re going to play the way I want football to be played as well,” he concluded.
