Dawson made great strides in his early days at Spurs but seems to have stagnated since. However he's still young for a centreback
A graduate of the Nottingham Forest academy, Dawson’s tenacity and willingness to put himself in harms way has made him a firm favourite with the White Hart Lane faithful.
Signed in 2005, along with midfielder Andy Reid for a combined fee of £8m, it didn’t take long for him to establish himself as Ledley King’s regular centre-back partner.
Yet with King sidelined for much of the 2007/08 season, Dawson struggled, making a number of high-profile errors, including a 93rd-minute own goal that cost Spurs a home victory over Manchester United.
Despite the blips, the fans and manager stayed faithful to a player who always gives it his all. Called up by England on several occasions, he had yet to make his debut by the start of the 2008/09 season.