It has been coming all summer long. Michael Dawson’s time at Tottenham seems to have been up for quite some time. Last week, Spurs finally agreed a deal to send their captain packing.
He’s moved to Hull City, where he’ll add a considerable amount of steel to an inconsistent defense. This is a deal that seems to work for both sides. Hull City get a relatively decent player, whilst Spurs get him off their books and bring in a new option (the impressive looking Federico Fazio).
But it’s hard not to feel a touch of nostalgia when Michael Dawson’s name is brought up. Yes, the last year or so hasn’t been great for him, but there’s no doubting that he’s managed to put in a few sterling performances during his time at the club.
He did spend nine and a half years at White Hart Lane after all. He put in 324 appearances for Spurs and was a major part of a few formidable centre-back partnerships.
In the end it’s his reliability I’ll remember best. Given all the years he’s been in the Premier League, the paltry number of errors he’s committed is hugely impressive. He’s the kind of defender that rarely put a foot wrong. That’s largely down to his passion and commitment – qualities that have often been lacking in his team-mates.
As a captain, he was a leader and an inspiration. He marshaled the troops well, kept morale high and drew good performances out of others.
He wasn’t a flawless centre-back. Nobody would call him that. His lack of pace and mobility meant he had to sharpen his positional sensibility and organisational nous. If he wasn’t so imperious in the air, his sluggish movement would have been more of a problem.
Opposition fans were keen to paint him as some kind of laughing stock, but that was never the case. Dawson, in my mind, remains a severely underrated centre-back. I wish him the best of luck at Hull City. I’m sure he’ll do a good job.
What’s your take? What legacy does Michael Dawson leave behind him?
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