Simon Dawkins Announces Retirement, Set to Remain with Club in New Role
August 1, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Monterey Bay FC News Release
Monterey Bay Football Club midfielder Simon Dawkins
(Monterey Bay FC)
SEASIDE, California - Monterey Bay Football Club midfielder and Jamaican international Simon Dawkins has announced his retirement from professional soccer after 20 years. With the sun set on his electrifying playing career, Dawkins is now expected to transition into an instrumental role within the Club. For now, Dawkins has been named the Interim Head Coach of Monterey Bay F.C. with a new manager set to be announced Monday. Monterey Bay F.C. will celebrate Dawkins' playing career at an upcoming home match on Saturday, August 10.
"Reflecting on my 20-year professional playing career, I have had many great moments, and one in particular is my two years here at Monterey Bay," said Dawkins. "I have met and worked with some amazing people and enjoyed every minute of playing for this wonderful club. I would like to thank everyone associated with Monterey Bay F.C. for making my time here an enjoyable one. I would also like to thank the fans for their support over the past two seasons."
Dawkins, 36, rose through the ranks of English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur to begin his professional career in 2005 after two seasons at the club's academy level. While under contract with Tottenham, Dawkins spent time on loan with Leyton Orient, Aston Villa, Derby County and Major League Soccer's (MLS) San Jose Earthquakes on two separate occasions. In June 2024, the Jamaican international was named to the Quakes' Top-50 Players of All-Time for his lasting contribution to the club throughout his five seasons in San Jose.
"We are honored to have been a part of Simon's journey, both the close of his playing career and now the beginning of his next chapter," said Monterey Bay F.C. President, Mike DiGiulio. "His future is very bright and I am very excited to get the opportunity to watch him develop in the next phase of his career. We are thrilled to have him continue on with us, as we look for him to play a big role in our future success."
The Jamaican international extended his playing career in 2022 when he signed on with Monterey Bay, immediately becoming an integral part of the Crisp-and-Kelp's inaugural squad and has since continued to leave his mark on the Club both on and off the pitch. Most memorably, Dawkins is responsible for one of, if not the greatest moment in Monterey Bay F.C. history to date during the Club's 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 contest. With the Club monumentally hosting the defending MLS Cup Champions LAFC at Cardinale Stadium, Monterey Bay found itself down 1-0 late in the match. In the dying moments of the contest, Dawkins ignited Cardinale Stadium with a fiery equalizer, sending the crowd into an uproar and the match into extra time before it eventually went to penalties.
"I'm excited to continue my career in the soccer world and help others to experience some great moments of their own," continued Dawkins. "I'm delighted to start the next chapter of my career here at Monterey Bay."
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 Monterey Bay Football Club midfielder Simon Dawkins |
 Monterey Bay Football Club midfielder Simon Dawkins |
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