He may have left Sheffield Wednesday in the summer but Cameron Dawson still holds a particular affinity for his boyhood club.
Now, he’s explained why he chose to sign for the Owls rather than local rivals Sheffield United as a youngster.
The city of Sheffield has produced some top goalkeepers over the years, from the late, great, Gordon Banks, to the likes of Wednesday legend Kevin Pressman, and more recently, Joe Wildsmith and Dawson himself.
Dawson moved on in July, to join Rotherham United on a permanent transfer after more than a decade with the Owls. Admittedly, Dawson has struggled with his new club, but will be hoping to find his feet as the season develops.
He may have spent a fair chunk of his career out on loan, but Dawson also managed to establish himself as Wednesday’s number one keeper for a substantial period.
Still, his career could well have played out very differently had he gone in the direction of Sheffield United when he was deciding which club’s academy to sign for.
Sheffield Wednesday had a better progression path
Appearing on the Yours, Mine, Away podcast with Wrexham goalkeeper Mark Howard, Dawson reflected on his time with Sheffield Wednesday and those early days in his development when he was wanted by both of his local clubs.
For Dawson, the decision simply came down to which club could offer him the clearest path to the first team.
He said: “A lot of lads get scouted out of Sheffield Boys by the two academies. I had the choice to go to Wednesday or United. It was a really tough decision, as United had a really good academy at that time.
“But, they had George Willis, and obviously George Long, and Jake Eastwood. There was a bit more of a pathway at Sheffield Wednesday, so I decided to go there.”
Cameron Dawson’s family urged him to join the Owls
Despite being a Wednesday fan as a boy, and the pleas of the Owls supporters in his family, it wasn’t quite as black and white as you may expect for Dawson.
The Rotherham man insisted that the Blades did tempt him, especially due to their impressive facilities and the success of their academy at the time.
“Obviously, I grew up a Sheffield Wednesday fan, so all the family were sort of pushing me there,” he added. “But United had a bit of a pull, because the system they had there has produced some really good players. But no, I had to go for Wednesday, and I took it from there.”
Dawson ended up playing 129 times for the Owls and was famously involved in the triumphant run through the League One play-offs in the 2022/23 campaign.