It is fair to say that 2012-13 will go down as one of the most turbulent in the career of Spurs captain Michael Dawson.
Upon the appointment of manager Andre Villas-Boas in the summer, the former Chelsea and Porto boss was quick to install Dawson as his club captain. However, with an array of options at centre half available to AVB, Dawson was within weeks deemed surplus to requirements and it seemed almost inevitable that the former Nottingham Forest youngster would be moving across London to become part of Mark Hughes squad at Queens Park Rangers.
Dawson decided against a move to Loftus Road, preferring to remain at White Hart Lane and fight his way back into his manager’s thoughts. This proved to be an inspired decision by the England International, who has gone on to fight his way back in from the cold to become one of the first names on AVB’s team sheet.
Since returning to first team duties, Dawson has wrestled back the captain’s armband and has put in a string of colossal performances which have led calls from many for an England recall. Dawson is a natural born leader of men, you can see when he is rousing his troops in the pre match warm up, driving the team on during the game and the first one to dish out the ‘high fives’ at the final whistle the influence that he has on the Spurs dressing room.
With Chelsea’s John Terry struggling through injury, is Dawson’s leadership, combined with old fashioned no nonsense defending exactly what Roy Hodgson could do with in his England side?
Aaron SharpFollow @ajs26061988