Career
Dawkins joined the Tottenham Hotspur academy in 2004 and featured regularly in the reserves but was unable to break through into the first team. He joined Leyton Orient on loan before the start of the 2008–09 season.
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, and made his cup debut in the Football League Trophy on 2 September where they beat Southend United 4–2. His loan period ended on 3 January 2009.
On 1 June 2009 Dawkins was released from his Tottenham Hotspur contract. He subsequently had a trial with French club RC Strasbourg, but he later returned to Tottenham on a non-contract basis while recovering from injury. A contract was dependent upon his proven fitness at start of the 2010–11 season.
In August 2010 Dawkins went on trial with Celtic, and subsequently had a trial with Bournemouth in early September 2010 due to a lack of fit strikers. On 14 September he was injured in a Bournemouth reserve game against Plymouth Argyle. He continued to train with Tottenham, scoring in a training friendly against Milton Keynes Dons on 8 December.
On 14 March 2011 Dawkins was rewarded with a contract by Tottenham Hotspur after impressing back at the club on trial. His contract will run to June 2013. He was then loaned to the San Jose Earthquakes the following day. He made his debut for the Earthquakes on March 19 in their first game of the 2011 MLS season, a 1–0 loss to Real Salt Lake. Then scored his first goal for his new club on April 2 in a 2–2 tie with Seattle Sounders. In January 2012 he was on trial at Dutch side FC Twente but was not offered a contract.
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. On 10 February 2013, at the age of 25, he made his Premier League debut in a match against West Ham, which Villa won 2–1.
Read more about this topic: Simon Dawkins
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