Simon Dawkins is a promising attacking midfielder who is currently under contract with Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.
The 23-year-old has previously been loaned to Leyon Orient, but currently plays his football in the MLS for the San Jose Eathquakes. So how did the midfielder's move to San Jose come about?
In 2008 Tottenham and the Earthquakes announced a partnership between the two clubs. Part of the deal was that the American side would be able to take a player on-loan. This led to Dawkins joining the Eartquakes on March 15 2011 where he has been a regular in the first team ever since.
Dawkins made an instant impact in San Jose, scoring his first goal on April 2 against Seattle Sounders FC and then again to equalise against Toronto FC one week later. Sportsvibe.co.uk caught up with Simon to discover how plying his trade away from Blighty has helped him develop.
Q. Being from High Barnet, what is it like playing for your local Premier League club?
It’s like I’m living the dream. I’ve been at Spurs since I was 13 and I’ve just been working hard and my aim is to make it in the first team. I’m happy to still be involved with the club and doing well.
Q. Coming from north London there are three teams you could have supported as a boy, did you support the team you play for?
Actually when I was a kid I supported Arsenal, however that quickly went away when I started to play for Tottenham. The rivalry between the two teams is big even amongst the youth teams, it’s all about local pride, but since playing for Spurs I’ve been a Tottenham fan.
Q. How hard is it to get into the first-team at a Premier League club like Tottenham?
Of course it difficult, Tottenham have so many international players, some of which aren’t even playing in the starting XI, so it’s going to be difficult for any youngster. But Tottenham have a big squad and Harry Redknapp is using the Europa League this season to give the younger players a chance.
The MLS season comes to an end in November and hopefully in the New Year Spurs are still in the FA Cup and Europa League and I would love the opportunity to play for Tottenham in any competition. I’ve worked so hard to get to this point in my career, I will continued working hard to the end of the MLS season and we will see what opportunities are available when I get back to England.
Q. In England you spent some time on loan with Leyton Orient, how was your time there and how did it help you develop as a player?
I was really young when I went to Leyton Orient and was there for six months. It was a hard time for me because I picked up a few injuries, but I also learnt a lot during my time there and the transition to men’s football, which I had to do. It definitely helped me with my development to the stage where I am at now, it was really important for me.
Q. What has it been like for a young player like yourself to not only move to a new city but to a new country?
From my point of view it’s been great. Obviously it’s quite far away from home but the players have been really helpful here and they’ve welcomed me into the club. It’s been really easy to settle down.
When you move away from your family, especially when your quite young it is difficult and being so far away there have been times when it’s been quite hard, but with it being the same language over here it has been very helpful and has helped me to settle quicker.
Q. Before your loan move to San Jose Earthquakes was there any interest from other clubs in England or other clubs abroad?
I’m not sure to be honest. I sat down with Tim Sherwood (Tottenham Hotspur assistant coach) and he told me they could loan me out to some English clubs but they wanted the best environment for me where I could play my football at a good level and really shine. The type of player I am, going into the lower leagues in England might have been difficult because they are very physical whilst over here it’s not like the Premiership but it’s not as physical as League One or Two. I think Tim sent me here for my development at it is the best place for me to be right now.
Q. Whilst over in America do you have regular contact with Tim Sherwood and the Tottenham staff?
Yeah, they watch my games all the time and they call me to give me feedback. I speak to Tim on a regular basis because not only is he my coach he’s a really good friend of mine now. We speak all the time and a laugh about the goals I’ve scored and chances that I’ve missed, but its great to stay in contact.
Q. There are currently quite a few Brits plying their trade in the MLS, with Robbie Keane and David Beckham being the most high-profile – what is the banter like when you play each other?
Beckham was at Spurs training with the team when the MLS finished last season and I had the opportunity to train with him and a couple of week back I played against him in Los Angeles and we had a little bit of a laugh during the game. It’s good to see Robbie Keane as well because I’ve known Robbie for a while and have grown up looking up to him and trying to learn from him so it was good to play against him.
When you come up against other Brits in the MLS games over here it’s always good because you don’t hear the accent too often, so when you hear them talking it feels like your back home again and sometimes you can miss that little bit of dressing room banter so it’s good to get it.
Q. What are the differences between the crowds in England and America, in terms of atmosphere?
It’s pretty much the same, in England the fan base is a lot wider and you get more fans going to the games which make it a lot louder in the stadiums but over here its really growing. I think in a few years the MLS is going to see a massive growth in terms of support.
Q. Are there any things you miss from England?
Travelling to games in England is a lot easier as over here we’re always flying. The closest game that we do away is a one-hour flight so the travelling is quite difficult, but on the bright side I’m getting lots of stamps in my passport and getting the Air miles! I obviously miss family and friends as well, but it’s a great experience for me.
Q. Would you recommend playing abroad to other young players when you get back to Tottenham?
For sure. Not just for the football side of things but I’ve made some great friends since moving here, I’ve seen so many different cities that I would never have experienced if it wasn’t for this move. It’s all been such a great experience and I would recommend moving abroad to play football especially when you’re young to anybody.
Q. If a foreign club anywhere in the world showed an interest in buying you on a permanent deal, would it be something you would consider doing after your experiences in the United States?
Yeah for sure, I don’t really mind moving to different places and I think as footballers we’re very privileged to see different places in the world. I would be very open to moving anywhere if I don’t stay at Tottenham – at the end of the day I just want to play football wherever that may be.
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