Pinnock Moves to Forest Green

....central defender Ethan Pinnock on a two-year contract from Ryman League Premier Division side Dulwich Hamlet for an undisclosed fee.

The 23-year-old will step up two levels after his former club also narrowly missed out on promotion to National League South last season, losing the play-off decider to East Thurrock United.

After making a clean sweep of the supporters`, players` and managers` player of the year awards in the 2014/15 season, he followed that up with the latter two awards in 2015/16.

The left-footed central defender came up through Dulwich Hamlet’s youth teams and Forest Green were one of four professional clubs chasing his signature for the coming season.

Pinnock made his senior debut for Hamlet in August 2010 as a 16-year-old and went on to make 204 first-team appearances for the club – scoring 13 goals.

Manager Mark Cooper said: “He’s been on our radar for a while; we’ve been offered a lot more experienced players but this kid has got real potential and is ready to play in the team now.

“He’s 6’2”, very quick and aggressive – and he has a very cultured left-foot – and there are not many of those around.

“And the way we want to play, high up the pitch, it’s important to have plenty of pace in defence.

“There were a lot of clubs interested in him, so to capture him underlines our ambition again."

Cooper was also impressed with what Pinnock had between the ears, with the young Londoner this week receiving positive results in his final exams for a Physical Education degree.

After signing his new deal, Pinnock said: “I’m delighted with the move and buzzing to get started.

“The way the manger wants to play suits my style, as I like to move the ball around on the ground and you don’t always get that opportunity as a central defender, although at Dulwich we did try to play as well.

In focusing on his defensive attributes, he said: “I’m good in the air and in 1v1 situations - I think that’s a strength.

Pinnock said the quieter pace of the Cotswolds would suit this stage of his carrier, as he knuckles down into full-time football.

“To be honest I knew about Forest Green the club, but didn’t know too much about the local area, except that it was near Bristol.

“However I think it’s a good place for me to come and focus and concentrate on my football.”

Last season he played fifty times for Dulwich in all competitions, scoring 7 goals and earning seven player of the match awards.