Simon Dawkins’ return to the Bay Area didn’t exactly get off to the start he wanted.
Dawkins, who played the 2011 and 2012 seasons with San Jose and returned to the club this winter after three years in England, failed to get on the scoresheet in the Quakes’ opening three games and got sent off in the first half of the third, a 3-1 loss at LA on March 19.
It wasn’t the picture-perfect return the Designated Player imagined, but, as he told The Telegraph’s Bob Williams in a story published on Wednesday, it’s all a part of getting reacquainted with San Jose after spending the first half of the current European season languishing on the bench for Derby.
"Personally, I think there is still a lot more to come from me,” he said. “I’m still getting back into the groove. I missed a lot of playing time at Derby and I am still getting back into it. The aim is to get better each game.
"It was very frustrating at Derby. My first two seasons I was a regular so I was confused as to why I wasn’t playing but that’s life and you move on.”
After sitting out San Jose’s April 2 draw against D.C. due to the red card suspension, he seemed to get his feet under him a bit over the weekend, when he recorded an assist in San Jose’s 2-2 draw at FC Dallas. He’ll look to carry that solid play into Wednesday, when the Quakes host the New York Red Bulls, who are off to a rough start after winning the Supporters’ Shield last year, at Avaya Stadium (10:30 pm ET; MLS LIVE).
“I think [it might be the right time to play them],” he said. “But then and again they need a win so they could turn up [Wednesday] night and deliver for the first time. It depends what Red Bulls turn up."
