Simon Jonathan Dawkins (born 1 December 1987) is a Jamaican retired professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or winger. Born in England, he represented the Jamaica national team. Recently, he was the interim head coach for Monterey Bay FC in the USL Championship during some of their 2024 season.

Simon Dawkins
Dawkins playing for the San Jose Earthquakes in 2017
Personal information
Full name Simon Jonathan Dawkins[1]
Date of birth (1987-12-01) 1 December 1987 (age 36)[1]
Place of birth Edgware, England
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2]
Position(s) Attacking midfielder, winger
Youth career
2004–2005 Tottenham Hotspur
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2009 Tottenham Hotspur 0 (0)
2008–2009Leyton Orient (loan) 11 (0)
2011–2014 Tottenham Hotspur 0 (0)
2011–2012San Jose Earthquakes (loan) 53 (14)
2013Aston Villa (loan) 4 (0)
2013–2014Derby County (loan) 13 (3)
2014–2016 Derby County 47 (4)
2016–2018 San Jose Earthquakes 38 (5)
2019 Ipswich Town 2 (0)
2022–2023 Monterey Bay 39 (1)
International career
2002–2003 England U16 7 (1)
2003 England U17 2 (0)
2014–2016 Jamaica 21 (3)
Managerial career
2024 Monterey Bay FC 2
2024 Monterey Bay FC (interim)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Jamaica
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Runner-up 2015 United States–Canada Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21 October 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 29 June 2015

Club career

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Tottenham Hotspur

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Dawkins joined the Tottenham Hotspur academy in 2004 and featured regularly in the reserves. He featured in the first team matchday squad once, as an unused sub under Martin Jol for a UEFA Cup game against Anorthosis Famagusta,[3] but did not progress onto making a first-team appearance. On 1 June 2009, Dawkins was released from his Tottenham Hotspur contract and then failed a medical at RC Strasbourg.[4]

Leyton Orient (loan)

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He joined Leyton Orient on loan before the 2008–09 season started.[5] His first team debut was delayed after picking up an ankle injury in a friendly match, coincidentally, against parent club Tottenham. He made his first league appearance on 16 August 2008, coming on as a substitute against Peterborough United,[6] and made his cup debut in the Football League Trophy on 2 September where they beat Southend United 4–2.[7] His loan period ended on 3 January 2009.

Return to Tottenham Hotspur

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Dawkins later returned to Tottenham on a non-contract basis while recovering from injury. A contract depended upon his proven fitness at the start of the 2010–11 season.[8]

In August 2010, Dawkins went on trial with Celtic[9] later deciding to continue to train with Tottenham, scoring in a training friendly against Milton Keynes Dons on 8 December.[10]

On 14 March 2011, Dawkins was rewarded with a contract by Tottenham Hotspur after impressing back at the club on trial, with his contract set to run until June 2013.[11]

San Jose Earthquakes (loan)

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Dawkins then signed for the San Jose Earthquakes on loan for the 2011 season.[12] He made his debut for the Earthquakes on 19 March in their first game of the 2011 MLS season, a 1–0 loss to Real Salt Lake.[13] He scored his first goal for his new club on 2 April in a 2–2 draw with Seattle Sounders FC.[14]

In January 2012, after returning to Spurs, there was interest from Steve McClaren's FC Twente but a loan deal could not be finalized.[15] Dawkins appeared in a Spurs matchday squad for the first time in over four years when he was an unused substitute for an FA Cup tie against Stevenage.[16]

He then joined the Earthquakes on loan again for the 2012 season.

Aston Villa (loan)

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On the final day of the January 2013 transfer window, Dawkins signed on loan with Premier League club Aston Villa for the remainder of the 2012–13 season.[17] On 10 February 2013, at the age of 25, he made his Premier League debut in a match against West Ham United, which Villa won 2–1.

Derby County

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On 14 October 2013, Dawkins joined Championship side Derby County.[18] It was announced on 18 October 2013 that Dawkins would be extending his stay with the Rams by agreeing to a 93-day emergency loan.[19] Dawkins made his first appearance for Derby on 19 October 2013, coming on as a replacement for Mason Bennett at the beginning of the second half. After a series of impressive performances for Derby, Head Coach Steve McClaren expressed his interest in signing Dawkins permanently in the January transfer window. A deal was reached with Tottenham and they agreed a fee on 3 January 2014, with Dawkins agreeing to a 2+12-year deal.[20] He thus became manager Steve McClaren's first permanent signing for Derby.

San Jose Earthquakes

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On 6 January 2016, Dawkins rejoined Major League Soccer side San Jose Earthquakes for an undisclosed fee.[21]

On 16 February 2018, Dawkins and San Jose agreed to mutually terminate his contract with the club.[22] Minnesota United FC claimed Dawkins on waivers shortly after the termination of his contract with San Jose.[23] However, Dawkins was released a week later before the start of the season.[24]

Ipswich Town

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Following a trial in December 2018,[25] Dawkins signed for Ipswich Town in January 2019 on a short-term deal,[26] with the option of an additional 12 months. He was released at the end of the 2018–19 season after making just 2 substitute appearances for the club.[27]

Monterey Bay

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After a nearly three-year absence from club football, Dawkins was announced as a signing for USL Championship expansion side Monterey Bay FC on 15 March 2022. Dawkins had previously played under manager Frank Yallop during his initial loan spell with the San Jose Earthquakes, and assistant manager Ramiro Corrales was also his teammate at the time.[28] On 23 July 2022, Dawkins scored his first goal for Monterey Bay during a 2–0 victory over New York Red Bulls II.[29] In the summer of 2024, Dawkins became head coach of Monterey Bay FC 2 ahead of its second ever season. Monterey Bay FC 2 is the club's pre-professional second team which plays in USL League Two.[30] Dawkins announced his retirement on 1 August 2024 and was named interim head coach for Monterey Bay's match against the Tampa Bay Rowdies.[31]

International career

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Dawkins made seven appearances for the England under-16 side between 2002–03, scoring once. He featured in the Victory Shield, Walkers International Tournament, and in the David Carins Memorial Trophy in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.[32] He made two appearances for the England under-17 side in 2003, playing in the Pepsi International Tournament.[33]

Dawkins made his international debut for Jamaica on 26 May 2014 against Serbia at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey.[34] He scored his first goal for Jamaica in a 2–2 draw with Egypt on 4 June 2014 at Leyton Orient. Dawkins scored a last-minute winner to see Jamaica through to the next round of qualifying stages with a spectacular volley against Nicaragua.

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 19 March 2019
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Tottenham Hotspur 2008–09[35] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2010–11[36] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2011–12[37] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2012–13[38] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2013–14[39] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Leyton Orient (loan) 2008–09[35] League One 11 0 1 0 0 0 2[a] 0 14 0
San Jose Earthquakes (loan) 2011[40][41] Major League Soccer 26 6 0 0 0 0 26 6
2012[40][41] Major League Soccer 29 8 2 0 2[b] 0 33 8
Total 55 14 2 0 0 0 2 0 59 14
Aston Villa (loan) 2012–13[38] Premier League 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Derby County (loan) 2013–14[39] Championship 13 3 0 0 0 0 13 3
Derby County 2013–14[39] Championship 13 1 1 0 0 0 3[c] 0 17 1
2014–15[42] Championship 34 3 3 0 5 2 42 5
2015–16[43] Championship 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
Total 60 7 4 0 6 2 3 0 73 9
San Jose Earthquakes 2016[40][41] Major League Soccer 24 5 0 0 0 0 24 5
2017 Major League Soccer 14 0 2[d] 0 0 0 16 0
Total 38 5 2 0 0 0 0 0 40 5
Ipswich Town 2018–19 Championship 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Career total 170 26 9 0 6 2 7 0 192 28
  1. ^ Appearances in Football League Trophy
  2. ^ Appearances in MLS Cup Playoffs
  3. ^ Appearances in Football League play-offs
  4. ^ Appearances in U.S. Open Cup

International

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As of match played 2 September 2016
Jamaica
Year Apps Goals
2014 8 2
2015 11 1
2016 2 0
Total 21 3

International goals

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As of match played 8 September 2015. Scores and results list Jamaica's goal tally first, "score" column indicates score after each Dawkins goal.[44]
No Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 4 June 2014 Brisbane Road, London, England   Egypt 1–1 2–2 Friendly
2. 16 November 2014 Montego Bay Sports Complex, Montego Bay, Jamaica   Haiti 1–0 2–0 2014 Caribbean Cup
3. 8 September 2015 Dennis Martínez National Stadium, Managua, Nicaragua   Nicaragua 2–0 2–0 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

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Club

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San Jose Earthquakes

International

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Jamaica

References

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  1. ^ a b Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2009). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2009–10. Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84596-474-0.
  2. ^ "Simon Dawkins". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  3. ^ "Famagusta 1-1 Tottenham (agg 2-7)". 4 October 2007 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
  4. ^ "Former Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Everton players on trial in Europe". Les Rosbifs. 23 July 2009. Archived from the original on 24 July 2009.
  5. ^ "Orient complete triple capture". BBC Sport. bbc.co.uk. 2 July 2008.
  6. ^ "Peterborough 3–0 Leyton Orient". BBC Sport. 16 August 2008.
  7. ^ "Southend 2–4 Leyton Orient". BBC Sport. 2 September 2008.
  8. ^ "Player Update". Tottenham Hotspur. tottenhamhotspur.com. 1 June 2009.
  9. ^ "Celtic trial for former Spurs striker". STV. 10 August 2010.
  10. ^ "Much Gained from Spurs Workout". MK Dons FC. 8 December 2010. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011.
  11. ^ "Nicholson extends deal". spurs.co.uk. 14 March 2011.
  12. ^ Geoff Lepper (15 March 2011). "San Jose ink attacker from partner club Tottenham". San Jose Earthquakes. sjearthquakes.com. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  13. ^ "In downpour, Beckerman goal provides thunder for RSL". MLSsoccer.com. 19 March 2011.
  14. ^ "Quakes rally twice to tie still-winless Sounders". MLS Soccer. mlssoccer.com. 2 April 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  15. ^ Fabian Bijman (24 January 2012). "FC Twente niet in zee met landgenoot McClaren" (in Dutch). Voetbalprimeur.nl. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  16. ^ "FA Cup (Sky Sports)". SkySports.
  17. ^ "Aston Villa sign Tottenham winger Simon Dawkins". Independent.co.uk. February 2013.
  18. ^ Cisse And Dawkins Join On Trial, Derby County, 14 October 2013, retrieved 14 October 2013
  19. ^ Derby Land Dawkins on Loan, Derby County, 18 October 2013, retrieved 18 October 2013
  20. ^ "Dawkins Completes Derby Switch". www.dcfc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  21. ^ "Simon Dawkins Joins MLS Side San Jose Earthquakes". www.dcfc.co.uk. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  22. ^ "Earthquakes, Simon Dawkins Mutually Part Ways". 16 February 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  23. ^ Tyler Hanson (21 February 2018). "MNUFC claim Simon Dawkins off waivers". MLS Multiplex. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  24. ^ "Stejskal: Minnesota United waive winger Simon Dawkins | MLSsoccer.com".
  25. ^ Stuart Watson (31 December 2018). "'We're just having a look at him' – Lambert on Dawkins trial". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  26. ^ Andy Warren (9 January 2019). "'New additions can give a club that lift' - Ipswich Town sign winger Dawkins following trial". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  27. ^ "Gerken Included in Released Blues". Ipswich Town Official Website. 20 May 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  28. ^ "Former San Jose Earthquakes Forward Simon Dawkins Joins Monterey Bay F.C." Monterey Bay Football Club | USL Championship. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  29. ^ "Monterey Bay F.C. Earns Third Consecutive Shutout in 2-0 Victory Over New York Red Bulls II". montereybayfc.com. 23 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  30. ^ "Monterey Bay F.C. 2". www.uslleaguetwo.com. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  31. ^ Vargo, Steven. "Simon Dawkins Announces Retirement from Professional Soccer". MontereyBayFC.com. Monterey Bay FC. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  32. ^ "Match Results Under 16". England Football Online. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  33. ^ "Match Results Under 17". England Football Online. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  34. ^ "Serbia vs. Jamaica". Soccerway. 26 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  35. ^ a b "Games played by Simon Dawkins in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  36. ^ "Games played by Simon Dawkins in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  37. ^ "Games played by Simon Dawkins in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  38. ^ a b "Games played by Simon Dawkins in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  39. ^ a b c "Games played by Simon Dawkins in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  40. ^ a b c "S. Dawkins". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  41. ^ a b c "Simon Dawkins". MLS. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  42. ^ "Games played by Simon Dawkins in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  43. ^ "Games played by Simon Dawkins in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  44. ^ "Dawkins, Simon". National Football Teams. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
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