There are two things that stand out about Ethan Pinnock when you meet him for the first time—his towering frame and his disarming humility.
The latter is a quality he developed in non-league football, cutting his teeth at Dulwich Hamlet after being released by Millwall. Thrown into the deep end against seasoned pros whose full-time dreams had faded, Pinnock began his journey to the top of the English game.
Will Non-League Pinnock Reach Europe?
That journey is still ongoing and could take another extraordinary turn if Brentford secure European qualification this season. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility—if you bet on football, you’ll see the Bees at 28/1 to finish in the top six with those odds shortening every week.
The reality is that Brentford are improving season by season and, in the years to come, they might even feature in the latest Premier League title odds.
Whether Pinnock will play a role in the club’s next phase of their evolution remains to be seen—he is 31, after all. What is certain, however, is that he has played a key part in building Brentford into the force they are today.
The Road Less Travelled
The club is well aware of that, as well as the outstanding qualities Pinnock brings both on and off the pitch—characteristics forged in non-league football.
In 2023, the Bees paid tribute to his time at Dulwich Hamlet by running an extensive feature on the lessons he learned by taking the road less travelled to the Premier League.
The most insightful answer came when Pinnock was asked to reflect on the biggest eye-opener in non-league football compared to the luxurious setting he find himself in today. The ever-contemplative defender responded:
“Players aren’t getting paid loads; they’re playing for their families.”
Pressed to elaborate, Pinnock explained:
“It meant a lot to the players I was playing with and against, so everyone had that tenacity and physical edge—every game mattered. I had to match that physicality.”
It was a baptism of fire for a player who had been released by Millwall, with the Bermondsey club stating that Pinnock was not physical enough. Tellingly, it is an assessment that Pinnock does not deem unfair. Reading between the lines, the defender might not have made it to the top had he not been forced to sink or swim at Champion Hill Stadium.
However, over his six years in Southwark, Pinnock took on every bit of advice from older pros, some with more than 500 non-league appearances to their names. Being so receptive to learning from those whose best days were behind them was the key to his rise, allowing him to reach the Premier League just a few seasons later.
Going Back to Go Forward
Now, Pinnock has surpassed the 100-appearance mark in the top flight and still has two years remaining on his current Brentford deal.
Yes, Pinnock may have been a late bloomer, but he was never going to reach the top without dropping into non-league and becoming the man—and player—he is today.
