It has been said that good things come to those who must wait - and after West Ham United defender Craig Dawson did just that, good results have certainly followed.
Having joined on loan from Watford in the summer, the 30-year-old made his debut for the Hammers in the 0-0 draw against Southampton over the festive period and produced a Man-of-the-Match display on the south coast.
The Englishman has since presided over three further shutouts, going on to score the winner against Stockport County in the FA Cup third round.
A vastly experienced centre-back, Dawson boasts 185 Premier League appearances to his name, with 157 of those coming in the colours of Tuesday night’s visitors West Bromwich Albion.
Since departing the west midlands in 2018, Dawson is yet to line-up against the Baggies, but that could soon change when the Hammers face another stiff Premier League test at London Stadium.
They’ve obviously got Sam Allardyce in there now and it’s going to be a tough game. We’re going to have to be at our best, our preparation has been good, our recovery has been good so hopefully we can get a positive result.
Craig Dawson
“I’ve got plenty of good memories from my time at West Brom,” the defender smiled. “They’re a good side.
"They’ve obviously got Sam Allardyce in there now as manager, and it’s going to be a tough game. We’re going to have to be at our best. Our preparation has been good, our recovery has been good - so hopefully we can get a positive result.”
Unbeaten in five, with four clean sheets and only one defeat since early December, confidence amongst David Moyes' players is understandably high.
Dawson attributes the Irons' recent successes to a renewed competitiveness within the squad.
“There’s a great atmosphere around the place at the minute," he continued.
"Everybody’s working hard and competing for places. We’re on a really good run of form, but every game is tricky game, and we’ll have to be at our best on Tuesday.
"We’ve got a great squad here. It’s about how you perform week-in, week-out and if you don’t work together as a team, as a group it doesn’t put you in good stead.
"I think we’ve got the balance right here; we work hard as team and the whole squad is ready to help out.”
A strong team cohesion has been evident in West Ham's astute defensive performances in recent weeks, with Dawson’s ability to seamlessly slot into the starting line-up a further example of the team's togetherness.
The defender added: “I had to wait a little bit for my chance, but now I’ve finally got into the side and the performances have been really good.
"Angelo (Ogbonna) and I seem to have started a really good partnership and I hope that can continue. Coming to the Club, you just want to play as many games as you can.
"Obviously, I want to finish as high as I can in the league. We’ve got a great squad and we just have to keep working hard, staying focused and performing.”
