Paul Hart, his manager at Forest, held a press conference at the City Ground at which he was asked to compare Dawson to Rio Ferdinand at the same age. “You’d have to speak to the people at West Ham, but I’d be surprised if Rio was any better,” Hart said. “I’ve not seen a better youngster for many years. Michael can be everything he wants to be.”
Partnering Ugo Ehiogu in the practice match, Dawson found himself facing Michael Owen and Emile Heskey, who scored the only goal. “He’s such a level-headed young man who takes everything in his stride,” Hart said. “I’d be surprised if something even as big as this changes him.”
Three years on, Dawson remains the same level-headed individual. Only now he partners Ledley King at the heart of the defence for Tottenham, where he is endeavouring to secure his team a place in next season’s Champions League as Spurs head north to Sunderland this afternoon. Dawson and King have been the integral element behind Spurs’ sustained Premiership challenge. They were brilliant together in the 1-1 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford early in the season, and several weeks ago Dawson’s strength in the air and composure and timing on the ground kept Fernando Morientes and Peter Crouch quiet in a man-of-the-match performance against Liverpool at Anfield.
There are even suggestions that if one of Sven-Göran Eriksson’s established centre-backs is not fit to take part in the World Cup this summer — Sol Campbell, perhaps — Dawson ought to take his place. Platt, for one, has always regarded the 22-year-old Yorkshireman as having the attributes to become an England stalwart.
“People keep saying I must be thinking about England, that it’s got to be in my mind, especially in World Cup year, but I really don’t think about it very much,” Dawson says. “There are so many good English centre-backs out there. In Ledley King, I play alongside one each week. He’s a fantastic defender, a talented footballer, and we’ve struck up a good understanding. The way we play the game, we’re quite similar. We both like to play the ball and we communicate well, too. I’m delighted to have this opportunity to play alongside a player of his quality.
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“I suppose you do end up looking at other defenders and measuring yourself against them. I remember watching John Terry when he was on loan at Forest from Chelsea (in the 1999-2000 season). I was only a young lad and I see how much he’s improved in just a handful of years. All he wanted then, like every other young player, was first-team experience. He probably didn’t think he’d be playing for England so quickly, but now he ’s a regular in the England team.
“It shows what can be done, and it’s definitely something I want to achieve in the future. My sole aim this season has been to establish myself in the Tottenham team. I’ve not really given England a thought.”
His pragmatic side was inherited from his hard-working father, Stuart, a mechanic who was once a schoolboy at Manchester United. At 16 he broke his leg badly, which ended his football ambitions, although his passion for the game was handed down to his sons, all three of whom have become pros. Andy, the oldest, is a left-back at Championship side Hull; Kevin was recently released by League One Chesterfield and plays in the Conference North.
“The three of us were at the City Ground together with our parents the day Andy signed for Nottingham Forest,” Dawson recalls. “We all had our picture taken with Brian Clough, who was then the manager, and it was such a proud moment, one you’ll always remember. I was nine years old and I have the photo at home still, the three of us with our Nottingham Forest shirts. Each of us made the same move from non-league Northallerton Town. I actually played with Kev in the Forest reserves and Kev and Andy played together, but we’ve never been in the same team.
“Dad never forced us to play. He and Mum just gave us the support and encouragement. You’ll never hear him talking about his regrets with football. He just got on with his life and let us get on with ours.
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“Of course, we’ve learnt from him over the years. It’s not rosy all the time in football. Kev’s 24 now, been in the game since he was 16, and all of a sudden he got released. It’s disappointing for him, but he’ll be trying to get back into a league side soon and I’m sure he will.”
From an early age Dawson was infused with a strong belief that he would make a career in football. He was a useful all-rounder at cricket, representing North Yorkshire at under-15 level, but Ferdinand was his hero. Hart, who made more than 600 league appearances as a centre-back, remarked on the “gangly young kid” the first time he saw him in the Forest youth academy, but noted that “he had undoubted ability and stood out in so many other ways”.
When Frank Arnesen recommended him to Tottenham shortly before his departure to Chelsea, he made a point of praising his “outstanding” leadership qualities.
Yet initially Dawson seemed to be a makeweight figure in the £8m deal that brought him and the Irish winger Andy Reid to Spurs from the City Ground. On the day they both signed, Dawson was barely addressed by the assembled media. A shin injury frustrated his hopes of breaking through early into the Spurs side, but when he finally made his debut towards the end of last season against Liverpool at Anfield, it proved worth waiting for. Dawson dug in hard, convincing manager Martin Jol with his performance in the 2-2 draw that he should remain in the side to face West Brom, then Arsenal.
“Liverpool and Arsenal in my first three games in the Premiership: it was a good way of finding out what it’s all about in a hurry,” he says with a smile after a press conference to announce the club’s new kit deal with Puma. “I was nervous, but it was a great feeling and very beneficial for me for this season. I was able to get five games under my belt before last summer’s break and felt great about that, al though I did feel bad when Forest got relegated, even though I’d been a Tottenham player from last January. When I first got in the side there I was playing with (the former England defender) Des Walker every week and I learnt so much from him. He looked after me and stood up for me.
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“The City Ground was great for me, but I’m a Tottenham player now and I have new ambitions here. At the start of the season we set our sights on Europe. After just missing out last year we wanted to go one step better. But now that we’ve got into the top four and a Champions League place, it would be nice to stay up there to the end of the season. We’re a young team, still learning, and we want to keep progressing. It feels fantastic to be part of this.”
And what of the chances of Dawson and King combining defensive duties for club and country? “We’ll just continue to do what we’re doing for Tottenham and we’ll see where it takes us,” Dawson says. Already they have done their bit to take Spurs a long way.