Simon Dawkins fails trial with FC Twente, return to San Jose Earthquakes still in limbo

Following an unsuccessful week-long trial with Dutch giants FC Twente, midfielder Simon Dawkins returned to Tottenham Hotspur with his future still undecided. The 24-year old Spurs reserve team regular played on loan with the San Jose Earthquakes for the entire 2011 Major League Soccer regular season, and had hoped to join Tottenham’s first team upon his return to England. Meanwhile, the Earthquakes continue to hold out hope that another loan agreement can be reached to bring the talented attacking midfielder back to MLS for a second successive season.

With the January transfer window in full effect in Europe, Spurs have reportedly been looking for a deal beyond just a loan agreement for Dawkins. His trial at FC Twente began on Tuesday, January 17, but the Eredivise side failed to offer him a contract and released him back to North London. By this morning, Dawkins was back in the Tottenham reserves side, scoring a goal and tallying an assist in a 3-2 loss to Leyton Orient reserves.

Dawkins remains the prize off-season signing the Earthquakes are targeting, as the Englishman proved to be a valuable addition to the team in 2011. Deployed either as a winger or central midfielder in head coach Frank Yallop’s starting line-up, Dawkins netted six goals in 26 games for San Jose last season, which tied him with forward Steven Lenhart for second most on the team behind team MVP Chris Wondolowski’s sixteen tallies. With the recent acquisitions of wing players Shea Salinas and Marvin Chavez, Yallop would be free to move Dawkins to his more natural position of attacking central midfielder — if he were to return to the Earthquakes.

Both Yallop and team general manager John Doyle have stated that a deal to bring San Jose is still on the table, but that the ultimate decision is in the hands of Tottenham. However, it is very unlikely that anything will be worked out prior to the close of the January transfer window, as the Earthquakes are targeting a loan deal rather than an outright purchase of Dawkins.

Dawkins finished off the last third of the 2011 MLS regular season in a strong manner, and capped off his first year in San Jose with a superb goal in the season ending 4-2 victory against FC Dallas.