Craig Dawson Appreciation Post

Yesterday West Bromwich Albion's centre back/right back, Craig Dawson, signed a contract extension that would keep him at B71 until the summer of 2020. Brought to the club in 2010 by Dan Ashworth, 'Daws' could well follow in the footsteps of fellow Albion teammates James Morrison and Chris Brunt by making it to a testimonial. That in itself, considering how patchy his Baggies career has been until the last couple of years, is an impressive feat.

Now I know virtually everyone reading this knows how much I adore Craig, and no doubt you'll think of this as a very biased post.

Dawson has many critics, especially from his own supporters (I sit in front of some of them at the Hawthorns and have to bite my tongue!) and it has to be said that ever since the despicable abuse for Brunt has faded poor Daws has become the latest scapegoat.

Granted, he may not be a world-class player. He wouldn't be a West Brom player if he was! But he has been at this football club for seven years, bided his time in breaking into the first team with the likes of Jonas Olsson, Gareth McAuley, Joleon Lescott and Jonny Evans as mentors and, when called upon, has done his job and, more often than not, done it well. At times he has even outshone his more experienced partner at the centre of defence.

After brief spells in the first team under the stewardship of Roy Hodgson, Steve Clarke and Pepe Mel, as well as loan spells at Rochdale and Bolton, it was when the much maligned Alan Irvine arrived at the club where Dawson really started to prove his worth. Having handed in a transfer request after three years of playing understudy to others and with Burnley interested, Irvine convinced Dawson that he was very much in his plans and, alongside Lescott, was a rock for the early stages of the season and gained valuable experience along the way.

Under Tony Pulis, and for once I will give credit where it is due, Daws has largely played at right back in the Welshman's standard tall and solid. Albeit unfamiliar and even to this day not quite looking the part Pulis has nurtured and drilled our promising centre half into a good Premier League defender.

Having done some research, in the games Dawson has played for Albion at both centre half and right back, we have kept 35 clean sheets in total and he has chipped in with ten goals. He may be seen as a "typical Pulis player" but if Pulis is what we have to put up with I'm glad he has been able to get the best out of a player who always puts in 100%, never causes trouble and is an all round nice person.

I hope that he will one day get a call up to the national squad. If others don't agree with that, fair enough, but I struggle to think of many others more deserving.