Sentence examples for years earlier from inspiring English sources

"years earlier" is a grammatically correct phrase and can be used in written English.
It is used to indicate a period of time in the past, specifically a time that occurred before the current point in time. Example: "Sarah had always dreamt of becoming a doctor, and her hard work finally paid off when she received her medical degree at the age of 26. However, this achievement was not just the result of her efforts in medical school, but also the dedication she had shown since she first declared her goal years earlier."