Pinnock appreciates life at Rugby Park after grafting on building sites

Former builder Mitch Pinnock is aiming to lay down some solid f oundations at Rugby Park as he looks to nail a regular slot in Alex Dyer's Kilmarnock line- up.

T h e 2 5 - y e a r - o l d was i n Arsenal's youth academy as a schoolboy but when a move to Southend failed to pay- off, he found himself working parttime on building sites while playing non- league football.

But those tough days grafting away in the bitter cold has only made the former AFC Wimbledon midfielder appreciate his new life playing top- flight football with Killie, who he joined in the summer.

"From a young age I was at the Arsenal academy and I thought that would j ust be the path I'd go on. But when I found myself where I was playing non- league, then I needed to look at getting another job so I could get some decent money,” he said. "Now looking back, I'm glad I had that experience as it makes me appreciate what I've got now.

"I'd have to be getting up early to head to a building site on a freezing cold morning, which wasn't much fun. When you look back on that it does make you put a bit more effort in."

Now Pinnock is hoping to cement a place in Dyer's team. Of his 10 Premiership appearances so far, eight have come off the bench but he did start two Betfred Cup games during the international break, scoring i n l ast week's win over Dumbarton, and hopes that will earn him the chance to face Ross County today.

He said: "I feel like I've done OK. I don't think I've been great to be honest but hopefully I can get a run and show what I can do.”