We are delighted to announce that ‘One of our Own’ Ed James has committed his future to the Grecians, signing a contract extension until 2028, with a club-held option for a further year.
Academy graduate and Wales U21 international Ed has been a Grecian since he was eight years old and has worked his way up through the ranks but has had to be patient and work hard to get his big break to feature in the first team.
After rising through the ranks of the City academy, Ed made his first-team debut in the 2022/23 EFL Trophy campaign with his league debut coming only two weeks later. Ed experienced loan spells in the second half of the season with Weymouth and Tiverton Town before signing his first professional contract with the Grecians in March 2023.
Ed's biggest milestone so far came when he was called upon to make his first professional league start as City hosted Doncaster Rovers in EFL Sky Bet League One in April 2026. It couldn't have gone better personally for Ed as City picked up a 3-0 win and Ed was named the sponsors man-of-the-match.
Ed took his opportunity with both hands and since then he's not looked back, playing in two Devon Derbies and featuring heavily in City’s league campaigns.
Ed’s new contract is recognition of that progress and the belief the club has in our own Academy graduates.
Speaking about Ed signing his new deal, manager Matt Taylor said: “Since I've come back to the club, Ed has been excellent. He's a young player with huge potential. He's got great size, moves quickly for a centre-half and is aggressive. There's a lot to like about him.
“He's still developing, both physically and in his understanding of the game, but he's performed well this season. He's another young player we want to build the future around.
“It's another signal of our trust in the youth policy and shows the importance of the academy. You can have all the taglines you want about developing young players, but the proof is in the pudding. You have to play them, invest in them and give them time. That's what a contract is for.
“It's pleasing that some of these young players are now wanting to commit to us. I think they can see the opportunity here, and that will hopefully filter down throughout the academy.
“He's performed well this season and he's only out of the team because he went away on international duty, which is fantastic for him and his family. And Jack Taylor came in and performed so well and the defence was rock solid in that period.
“We were defending well when Ed was in the team as well, so I'm sure he'll be involved this weekend and moving forward. He is another young player we want to build the future around.”
Speaking about signing the deal, Ed added: "I'm really happy to sign. The club's moving in a good direction at the minute and I'm really happy to be a part of that and hopefully I'll keep developing as a player and as a person.
“As soon as the new deal was offer, it was never going to be a hard decision. I know this club inside out. I feel like it's the best place for me to keep developing as a player, so it wasn't a hard decision.
“It's been a long journey with plenty of ups and downs, and I feel like I'm moving in the right direction, so I just want to keep that momentum going and to keep pushing on.”
Ed’s extension further reinforces Exeter City's commitment to continuing to develop homegrown talent and creating opportunities for Academy graduates to make their mark in the first team.