Ethan Pinnock began his career in non-league football with Dulwich Hamlet and Forest Green Rovers, before rising to prominence in the EFL.
He began his career as a full-back for Dulwich Hamlet, leaving the Millwall Academy aged 15. He had a short loan spell with Holmesdale, returning to Hamlet to become a centre-back.
"I became a centre-back quite late on, probably when I was about 19,” Pinnock recalled.
“It was actually accidental! I had a pre-season game at Dulwich and one of the centre-backs was injured. For that game, I ended up playing as a centre-back, I did well there, and then I just carried on playing in that position.”
He was part of the side that won the Isthmian League Division One South in 2013, winning the Player of the Year Award in back-to-back seasons (2014/15 and 2015/16).
In the same year he graduated from the University of Greenwich with a 2:1 in physical education as well as a call-up from England C soon after.
In June 2016, Pinnock joined National League side Forest Green Rovers on a two-year contract. After 45 appearances and three goals in the 2016/17 season, he helped Rovers to promotion to the EFL for the first time in their history.
In June 2017, he signed a three-year deal at Barnsley in the Sky Bet Championship. He finished his first injury-affected season with only 15 appearances as the Tykes were relegated to League One.
He missed just two games the following campaign as Barnsley gained automatic promotion back to the second tier. He was voted the club's Player of the Year and was named in both the PFA and EFL League One Team of the Year.
In July 2019, Pinnock joined Brentford. He made 40 appearances and scored twice during a season that culminated in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium. After a 2-1 loss to Fulham, the following season the Bees went one better, beating Swansea 2-0 to confirm their first promotion to the top flight since 1935. Pinnock was named in the 2020/21 PFA Team of the Year.
“It was actually my birthday that day, but I didn’t even really celebrate it because it was obviously just a promotion celebration! I had to celebrate it a week or so after,” said Pinnock.
“But that was an unbelievable feeling: to get promoted to the Premier League on your birthday. Not many players can say that.”
That season also saw a first call-up and senior cap for Jamaica. His first match came against the United States, earning him a place on the provisional squad for the 2021 Gold Cup.
His Premier League debut came on 13 August 2021, when Brentford beat Arsenal 2-0 on the opening day of the 21/22 campaign. He would go on to play 35 games in all competitions, scoring his only goal against Liverpool during a 3-3 draw at Gtech Community Stadium.
A knee injury saw him miss the entirety of the 2022/23 pre-season; after missing the first nine matches he played in every Premier League game once he returned to fitness.
He played 30 Premier League games the following season, and his performances were rewarded with the Brentford Supporters’ Player of the Year award.