Barcelona couldn’t do it in midweek, but Leyton Orient captain Stephen Dawson will tommorow try to shackle Arsenal’s explosive forward power. It is just as well that he will have 65 supporters in family and friends.
In one of the stand-out ties from this weekend’s FA Cup fifth round, Arsene Wenger’s stellar line-up comes up against one of the toughest teams in League One.
From the Emirates on Champions League night to a muddy scrap at Brisbane Road. It may only be a short journey to east London for the Gunners, but Orient’s humble home will be a world away from what they are accustomed to.
That is what Dawson is hoping for, anyway. The grounded Dubliner is preparing for the biggest game of his career, but rather than worry about handling Cesc Fabregas, he has focused on organising tickets for family and friends. Among them will be younger brother Kevin, 19, who is set to make his Republic of Ireland Under 21 debut today.
‘Not many players get the chance in their careers to play against teams like Arsenal. This might be my only chance, so I’m determined to make the most of it,’ Dawson toldSportsmail.
‘In 10 or 15 years’ time I want to look back on this match and feel proud of it. It will be a special day for me as I will be leading the team out in front of so many friends and family.
‘I feel really privileged to be the captain for such a massive game. But I’ve worked really hard to get here. It’s not every day that a team like Orient get to play a team like Arsenal.’
For Dawson to even be involved in this mammoth fixture is a credit to his hunger as well as the support of his family.
Having started out with St Malachy’s and Stella Maris, the box-to-box midfielder moved on to schoolboy club Portmarnock. It wasn’t long before he landed a trial with Leicester City and was signed up straight away.
At 16, that first year away proved tougher than he expected. More than once he felt the urge to call it quits and return to Dublin, but his parents convinced him to stick it out despite the numerous empty promises made during three years at Leicester.
Things didn’t improve when he joined Mansfield Town and experienced relegation. Dawson thought his career as a professional in England was over before it has even started.
He returned home, trained with Bohemians and pondered his options.
‘I felt let down by certain people at Leicester and perhaps I was young and naive too. I trusted people and they went back on their word, so I was happy to move on,’ he revealed.
‘Mansfield was a great chance to play games, but it didn’t work out. So I was training with Bohs as Stephen Ward is a good friend of mine and he put in a word for me.
‘Then Bury came in for me. I was lucky as I was getting a second chance. My family stuck by me through it all and without them I don’t know where I would be.’
Two years playing regularly with Bury caught the attention of Orient boss Russell Slade, who snapped up Dawson once his contract ran out last summer.
Since then he has taken on the captain’s armband, scored two goals in 33 games and become an integral part of a team unbeaten in 11 matches, a run that has included FA Cup heroics against Norwich City and Swansea.
However, that bitter feeling of being left behind returned recently when Kevin was stuck in limbo after his contract with Sporting Fingal was ripped up.
The promising teen was not sure what to do next, so Stephen swung a trial for him at Orient.
‘I was devastated when I got the letter that Sporting Fingal were shutting down. It meant that full-time football, which I loved, was now gone,’ explained Kevin.
‘But my brother started to set up something for me and that is what I was looking at until Alan Mathews [Shelbourne manager] called and asked me to sign. I felt that was too good of an opportunity to turn down.’
There is no doubt that this weekend will be memorable for the entire Dawson clan. No wonder the players’ father has excitedly been telling his co-workers at Cadbury’s all about it.
However, Stephen wants this to be the turning point in his career rather than its climax. Insisting that ‘miracles can happen’, he will try to lead minnows Orient to a famous upset against their vaunted Premier League opponents.
After all, he knows that with the support of his family, anything can happen.