On how the signing of Simon Dawkins will change how the offense operates
Dominic Kinnear: “It doesn’t change anything at all. One thing we’ve done here in the last 10 days or so in adding Chad Barrett and now adding Simon, it has put more goals in our roster and I think it’s something we needed last year. Simon was a very productive midfielder for the Quakes before he left with a lot of goals out of midfield. He’s very versatile. He can play out wide; he can play through the middle. He’s a player that fans like in San Jose and a player that I’ve liked from years past. As far as how it sets our team up, it doesn’t change anything at all.”
On having four Designated Players on the roster
John Doyle: “It’s a fluid time for us right now. We don’t need to be roster compliant until a week before the season starts. We’re looking at all kinds of different options. We do have the funds with the targeted allocations to keep all the players. That’s what Dominic and I are actively looking at and have talked about since last season. We have time so we want to make sure it makes sense for us and we have the time to look at it.”
On where they see Simon Dawkins fitting in on the field
DK: “I think he can play out wide or through the middle. What that creates is competition. It creates a battle for minutes. You have to look at the amount of internationals going on. You have Copa America inclusion with our players, so there’s going to be some players that are missing, as we know. You have to create as much depth as possible. Can he play through the middle? Can he play out wide? Yes. I’m looking forward to it. I think he’s a good player. I think he can help us in a lot of ways and, for me, you want competition for spots and a healthy environment in the locker room. I know speaking to John and players about Simon and his presence in the locker room before, it’s going to create that.”
On how the deal came together
JD: “We always held Simon in the highest regard as a player and a person, so he was always someone on our list. We’re always looking for players – we’re not sitting on our hands. We’re always exploring opportunities. When I was in Europe, I got to stop by and talk to Simon and talk to his father. This year, I flew to Jamaica to meet with Simon and see where he was. I spoke to Sam Rush, the chairman at Derby, last year about Simon, so just gaging the interest. Finally, we were able to grab him. It’s been a long process. During that time, we’ve signed other players and looked at a lot of players. The timing was right with Simon. We were able bring him back to San Jose and we’re happy to have him.”
On how Simon’s game has matured in the past few years in England
JD: “I think he was an excellent player when he left. I think him playing for Jamaica helped. I think the travel and playing international soccer was good for him. He scored a big goal against Nicaragua to get them through to World Cup Qualifying. The time he spent at Aston Villa was good for him to play in front of big crowds. He hasn’t been playing for Derby lately, so he’s hungry to play. That’s one thing he said to me is that he wanted to get here and play and have a regular spot. I think we have a hungry player and someone who is excited to get back to San Jose. His quote to me was he had some ‘unfinished business in San Jose.’
