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Michael DawsonEnglish footballer, defender
Date of Birth: 18.11.1983
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
Early Life and Career
Michael Dawson was born in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, and attended Wensleydale School. He is the younger brother of Hull City defender Andy Dawson and former Chesterfield player Kevin Dawson. Dawson began his football career at local side Northallerton Youth Football Club before joining the youth team of Nottingham Forest at the age of 14.
Nottingham Forest
Dawson made his professional debut for Nottingham Forest in November 2000. He went on to make 91 appearances for Forest, including his debut against Walsall on 1 April 2002, which ended in a 2-3 defeat. The following season, Dawson established himself as a regular starter alongside veteran Des Walker. Nottingham Forest finished 6th in the First Division and lost 3-4 in the Championship play-off semi-finals to Sheffield United, with Dawson missing the match due to a calf injury.
Tottenham Hotspur
After suffering from glandular fever while playing for England's under-21 team and missing the start of the following season, Dawson became increasingly plagued by injuries throughout his remaining time at Nottingham Forest. When Forest were relegated to the third tier of English football for only the second time in their history, Dawson and teammate Andrew Reid joined Tottenham Hotspur on 31 January 2005 for a fee of £8 million. Dawson made his debut for Spurs towards the end of the season on 16 April 2005, in a 2-2 draw against Liverpool.
Dawson impressed in the 2005-06 season, earning plaudits for his aerial ability and relentless work rate. On 28 March 2006, he signed a new contract with the club, extending his stay until 2011.
With Ledley King suffering a long-term injury, Spurs relied on Dawson as much as their star defender, and the 23-year-old proved he could perform consistently, even without his experienced partner. Dawson's dependable performances in defense, in King's absence, made him a firm fan favorite at Tottenham. He scored his first goal for Tottenham in a 2-1 victory over Chelsea at White Hart Lane on 5 November 2006. His goal equalized the score after Claude Makelele had put Spurs behind, and Aaron Lennon scored the winner.
In the 2006-07 FA Cup quarter-final against Chelsea, Dawson captained Tottenham in the absence of King, his deputy Paul Robinson, and Robbie Keane.
After playing all but one of 59 games in the season, Dawson was offered a new five-year contract on 11 May 2007, extending his stay until 2012, despite his previous contract not expiring for another four years.
Hull City
On 26 August 2014, Dawson joined Hull City on a three-year contract.International Career
Dawson's performances were duly noted by the national team. He was first called up to the England squad by Sven-Göran Eriksson as a standby for the 2006 World Cup, replacing the injured Luke Young, and was retained by new manager Steve McClaren. He was again named as a replacement for the injured Rio Ferdinand for the 2010 World Cup but did not make an appearance.
