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San Jose Earthquakes' Simon Dawkins (left).
TORONTO, Canada:
Simon Dawkins believes he has enough "street cred" to fit the Reggae Boyz profile.
Despite being born in London and representing England at the youth level, the 23-year-old hopes his football talent, strong connections with Jamaica and interest in playing for the country make him warrant serious consideration, especially as Jamaica is actively seeking to boost the Reggae Boyz squad ahead of World Cup qualifiers next year.
"My background is Jamaica," said the attacking midfielder/forward, who currently plays for Major League Soccer (MLS) team San José Earthquakes (SJE), after being signed to a two-year contract in March by English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and sent on loan to the United States.
"Maybe one day I would play for Jamaica. I'd love to."
According to him, his family would relish that opportunity as well.
"(It would) make my grandparents really happy," said Dawkins.
So too mother Lorna and father David, who Dawkins claim are from Clarendon. Born in the Edgware community, Dawkins said he is tightly connected to his parents' home culture.
"You could call me raised Jamaican in London," he explained with a broad smile after playing for SJE against Toronto FC late last month.
That includes his affection for the island's food and music. His roots also sparked his interest in Jamaica's football.
"I follow Jamaica's team and the Jamaican players," said Dawkins. "I saw them at the Gold Cup this year."
He claimed he has met several current and former Reggae Boyz, including Ricardo Gardner, Ricardo Fuller, Omar Daley and Deon Burton. Reggae Boy Khari Stephenson is Dawkins's teammate at SJE.
Dawkins also said - only half-jokingly - he's related to "almost every Dawkins" in Jamaica. He even makes a connection with current head coach Theodore Whitmore, who he has never met.
"I went to school with Alex Whitmore (the coach's nephew) at Underhill Primary and Ravenscroft High School," Dawkins explained.
However, the 5' 10" 160-pounder knows it's his football ability that will count most towards any consideration for Jamaica's national team.
So far, Dawkins is still trying to find his way in MLS, North America's premier professional league. On August 27, he started and played just over an hour against host Toronto FC and failed to score in the 1-1 draw.
However, Dawkins did show why he could be a factor down the road. He has quick, nimble feet. Early in the second half, SJE's number 10 picked up a ball in the attacking third
and used close kills to elude
defenders.
But Dawkins's career has been up and down. He started out at Tottenham's youth academy in 2004 and played in the reserves. He never got a game at the senior level, although he was among the Spurs substitutes for a UEFA Cup first-round game.
Dawkins had been on loan to lower English league club Leyton Orient, but was released by Tottenham in June 2009. He has also been on trial with clubs in France and Scotland.
Still, Dawkins impressed Spurs enough at a trial stint this year and was re-signed. The club's technical coordinator, Tim Sherwood, recently told SJE's website that Dawkins has a good chance to shine in MLS.
"Simon is gifted, he holds the ball up well, sees his teammates and has a good appreciation of the game," said Sherwood. "I think he will do well."
Dawkins has had a fair start to his MLS stint. The TFC game was his 18th appearance for SJE, starting 11 games and scoring four times while recording an assist. His second strike of the season, against TFC on April 9, earned Dawkins a nomination for MLS Goal of the Week.
Maybe Dawkins's desire to break into Jamaica's national programme is gaining momentum. He promises to grab the chance if it finally comes.
"Of course, I would consider it at this stage of my career," Dawkins said.
