 Dawson warming up forWest Ham United in 2021 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Craig Dawson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1990-05-06)6 May 1990 (age 34)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Rochdale, England[3] | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Wolverhampton Wanderers | ||
| Number | 15 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Rochdale St Clements | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2009 | Radcliffe Borough | ||
| 2007–2008 | →Clipstone (loan) | ||
| 2009–2010 | Rochdale | 46 | (10) |
| 2009 | →Radcliffe Borough (loan) | ||
| 2010–2019 | West Bromwich Albion | 194 | (14) |
| 2010–2011 | →Rochdale (loan) | 41 | (9) |
| 2013 | →Bolton Wanderers (loan) | 16 | (4) |
| 2019–2021 | Watford | 29 | (2) |
| 2020–2021 | →West Ham United (loan) | 22 | (3) |
| 2021–2023 | West Ham United | 42 | (2) |
| 2023– | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 57 | (2) |
| International career | |||
| 2011–2013 | England U21 | 15 | (6) |
| 2012 | Great Britain Olympic | 3 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:34, 29 December 2024 (UTC) | |||
Craig Dawson (born 6 May 1990) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as acentre-back forPremier League clubWolverhampton Wanderers.
He has previously played forRadcliffe Borough,Bolton Wanderers,Rochdale,West Bromwich Albion,Watford andWest Ham United.
Dawson started his career at the youth club Heywood St James, before joining Rochdale St Clements. At the age of 16, whilst working as a glass collector in his local pub inRochdale, Dawson was approached byRadcliffe Borough chairman Bernard Manning Jr, son ofBernard Manning, later making his debut for the club in a game againstSalford City in the middle of the2007–08 season. Following a loan spell atClipstone,[4][5] Dawson became a first-team regular after just a few games at Radcliffe. In the two seasons he was at the club he made 95 appearances and scored 15 goals.[6] In the season he left, he was voted the Player of the season by Radcliffe.[7] In 2017, Dawson was included in theNorthern Premier League's Greatest 100 Players for the 50th Anniversary of the league, ranking in 14th overall.[8]
In February 2009, Dawson signed for his local clubRochdale on a two-year contract for a fee of £12,000, despite a bid of £30,000 fromCrewe Alexandra.[9][5] Although a Rochdale player, Dawson stayed at Radcliffe onloan until the end of the season.[7] Dawson made his debut for Rochdale reserves, scoring a header from a corner againstManchester City. Dawson was set to make his debut in the second half of the 2008–09 season; however, was set back by injury. Dawson finally got his Rochdale debut on 8 August 2009, starting in theLeague Two clash with Port Vale atVale Park. The match ended in a 1–1 draw. Dawson's second game was atHillsborough Stadium in theLeague Cup againstSheffield Wednesday. Despite conceding three goals, Rochdale fans gave Dawson rave reviews and named him the man of the match.
He scored 10 goals in all competitions during the2009–10 season and won a place in the League TwoPFA Team of the Year.
On 31 August 2010, Dawson signed forPremier League clubWest Bromwich Albion for an undisclosed fee on a three-year contract. He made his competitive Baggies debut in a 4–1League Cup win atAFC Bournemouth in August 2011 and the following day was called up into the England under-21's squad byStuart Pearce, who watched him from the stands at theDean Court on his debut. On 26 July 2011, Dawson was rewarded with a new-and-improved Albion contract. On 21 February 2012, the centre-half penned a three-and-a-half-year deal to June 2015, plus a further year's option in the club's favour.[10] Dawson made his firstPremier League start on 17 September 2011, away from home againstSwansea City as a fill-in central defender for the suspendedGabriel Tamaş in a disappointing 3–0 defeat. He re-appeared in the starting eleven for the game against Manchester City in which West Brom went on to lose 4–0. Again, Dawson appeared in the next league game againstQueens Park Rangers, West Brom went on to win the game 1–0. On 28 September 2014, Dawson scored his firstPremier League goal for West Brom in a 4–0 home win againstBurnley. He scored his next goal of the season in a 1–2 loss toWest Ham United on 2 December 2014.[11]
After the arrival of new Albion managerTony Pulis at the start of 2015, Dawson became a regular feature in the starting lineup. While not chipping in with any more goals that season, Dawson played his part in the team achieving survival.[12] During the2015–16 season, Dawson was again a regular starter. His first goal of the season came in a 2–3 loss toEverton on 28 September 2015.[13] His next goal came in a 2–2 draw away atLiverpool on 13 December 2015.[14] On 18 February 2016, he signed a contract extension to keep him at the club until the summer of 2018.[15] Two weeks after signing his contract extension he scored a goal in a 3–2 home win againstCrystal Palace. He was also involved in the winning goal forSaido Berahino.[16] On 25 April 2016, he became the fourth Premier League player of the season to score an own goal and a goal in the same match in a 1–1 draw away toTottenham.[17]
On 18 March 2017, he scored two headers from corners, as West Brom defeatedArsenal 3–1 in thePremier League, being named man of the match in the process.[18]Dawson made 28 league appearances for West Brom in the2017–18 season as they were relegated from the Premier League. He subsequently handed in a transfer request and refused to travel to Portugal for the club's training camp.[19]
Immediately after signing for West Brom, he was loaned back to Rochdale for the remainder of the2010–11 season.[10]
On 23 January 2013, despite interest from Blackburn Rovers, Leicester City, Leeds United, and Nottingham Forest, Championship clubBolton Wanderers won the race to sign Dawson on loan for the rest of the season. On 23 February, Dawson scored twice in a 4–1 win againstHull City.[20]Just three days later on 26 February, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 home win againstPeterborough United.[21] He scored for the third successive match on 2 March, scoring the winning goal in a 3–2 win againstBarnsley.[22]
On 1 July 2019, Dawson signed forPremier League clubWatford for an undisclosed fee on a four-year contract.[23]
Dawson scored his first goal for the club on 20 June 2020, An overhead kick againstLeicester City.[24] Dawson made 29 appearances for Watford in the 2019–20 season as they were relegated to theChampionship. At the start of the2020–21 season, and the appointment of a new manager,Vladimir Ivić, his selection for the team became less likely following the signings ofFrancisco Sierralta andWilliam Troost-Ekong.[25]
On 12 October 2020, Dawson signed forWest Ham on loan for the remainder of the 2020–21 season. The club retained an option to make the transfer permanent at the end of the loan.[26] Dawson did not make his West Ham debut until 29 December 2020; being named as Man of the Match for his performance in a 0–0 draw away toSouthampton.[27] On 11 January 2021, he scored his first goal for West Ham, againstStockport County, in the third round of the FA Cup as West Ham won 1–0. It was his first FA Cup goal for over 10 years since scoring for Rochdale againstFC United of Manchester in November 2010.[28] On 26 January 2021, he scored his first Premier League goal for West Ham, in a 3–2 away win againstCrystal Palace.[29]
On 6 April 2021, it was announced that Dawson would joinWest Ham United permanently at the end of the 2020–21 season on a two-year contract.[30]
Following a long-term injury in November 2021 to regular centre-back,Angelo Ogbonna, Dawson was drafted in as a regular replacement.[31] He scored his first Premier League goal of the2021–22 season; a stoppage-time equaliser in a 2–2 draw away atLeicester City on 13 February 2022.[32] Six days later, Dawson scored his fiftieth goal in professional football as he headed in the opener at home toNewcastle United.[33] Dawson earned particular praise for his performances in West Ham'sEuropa League campaign. In a quarter-final game on 14 April againstLyon he scored the first goal in a 3–0 win in France and made more blocks than any other player despite taking blows to the face. His performances gained him cult status with the West Ham fans who dubbed him "Ballon D'awson".[34][35] By April 2022, following further injuries to centre-backsKurt Zouma andIssa Diop, Dawson was the only available recognised centre-back at the club.[36] After his sending-off in an away game atChelsea on 24 April, West Ham were left without any regular centre-backs for the following match.[37] Following West Ham's Europa League campaign, in which they were knocked out in the semi-final, Dawson was named in the Europa League Team of the Season, alongside teammateDeclan Rice.[38]
Despite leaving the club in January 2023, Dawson received a winner's medal after West Ham won the2023 UEFA Europa Conference League final in Prague in June 2023.[39]
On 22 January 2023,Wolverhampton Wanderers announced the signing of Dawson on a two-and-a-half-year deal.[40] On 4 February 2023, Dawson scored his first goal for Wolves on his debut appearance for the club in a 3–0 home win againstLiverpool in the Premier League.[41]
When Wolves became the first team in the2023–24 Premier League to beat reigning ChampionsManchester City on 30 September 2023, Dawson was singled out for particular praise by commentators, having markedErling Haaland out of the game to the extent the latter only had fifteen touches during the game.[42]
Dawson scored his second Wolves goal in the final game of 2023, a 3–0 win againstEverton atMolineux in the Premier League on 30 December.[43]
On 4 December 2024, Dawson scored two own goals in a 4–0 loss toEverton, becoming the fifth player in Premier League history to score two own goals in the same match.[44][45]
Dawson scored two goals on hisEngland under-21 debut againstAzerbaijan on 1 September 2011.[46] He played 15 matches for England U21s, scoring six goals.
On 2 July 2012, Dawson was selected byStuart Pearce for the 2012Great Britain Olympic football team.[47] He featured in the 1–0 victory overUruguay as a last minute substitution for goalscorerDaniel Sturridge.[48]He also featured in the Olympic quarter-final againstSouth Korea, coming on as a substitute for an injuredMicah Richards, and scoring in the penalty shoot-out.[49]
Prior to becoming a professional footballer, Dawson played forRochdale Cricket Club as a batsman, having trials withLancashire County Cricket Club.[50]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Rochdale | 2009–10[52] | League Two | 42 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 1 | 46 | 11 |
| 2010–11[53] | League One | 45 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 11 | |
| Total | 87 | 19 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 94 | 22 | ||
| West Bromwich Albion | 2011–12[54] | Premier League | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | |
| 2012–13[55] | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14[56] | Premier League | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 15 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15[57] | Premier League | 29 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 35 | 2 | ||
| 2015–16[58] | Premier League | 38 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 43 | 4 | ||
| 2016–17[59] | Premier League | 37 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 39 | 4 | ||
| 2017–18[60] | Premier League | 28 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 32 | 2 | ||
| 2018–19[61] | Championship | 41 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[b] | 1 | 45 | 3 | |
| Total | 194 | 14 | 15 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 225 | 15 | ||
| Bolton Wanderers (loan) | 2012–13[55] | Championship | 16 | 4 | — | — | — | 16 | 4 | |||
| Watford | 2019–20[62] | Premier League | 29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 30 | 2 | |
| 2020–21[63] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 31 | 2 | |||
| West Ham United (loan) | 2020–21[63] | Premier League | 22 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 24 | 4 | ||
| West Ham United | 2021–22[64] | Premier League | 34 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10[c] | 2 | 50 | 4 |
| 2022–23[65] | Premier League | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[d] | 1 | 13 | 1 | |
| Total | 64 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 87 | 9 | ||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2022–23[65] | Premier League | 17 | 1 | — | — | — | 17 | 1 | |||
| 2023–24[66] | Premier League | 25 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 28 | 1 | ||
| 2024–25[67] | Premier League | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 16 | 0 | ||
| Total | 57 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 61 | 2 | |||
| Career total | 446 | 46 | 28 | 3 | 21 | 0 | 17 | 5 | 512 | 54 | ||
Radcliffe Borough
Rochdale
West Ham United
Individual
