Michael Richard Dawson (born 18 November 1983) is an English footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur and the England national football team.

Midway through the 2009-10 season, Dawson became the team captain of Tottenham Hotspur as Robbie Keane left for Celtic on loan in January. His form that season saw him included in England's preliminary World Cup squad. Although he initially failed to make the final 23-man squad, an injury to captain Rio Ferdinand saw him drafted in as replacement.

Tottenham Hotspur
In the 2008�09 season Dawson was to see his playing opportunities become more limited due to the arrival the previous season of Jonathan Woodgate from Middlesbrough. The 2009-10 Premiership season was to be regarded by many as Dawson's finest season in a Spurs shirt to date as he helped the club to a fourth-place finish, their highest league finish for 20 years and a qualification place for the UEFA Champions League. Initially Dawson was to once again struggle to get into the side partly due to the arrival of Sebastien Bassong from Newcastle in the summer, however after Tottenham's 9-1 demolition of Wigan Athletic in November and with ongoing injury problems to defensive duo King and Woodgate, Dawson was to establish himself as a rock at the heart of Tottenham's defence. He was to miss just one of Spurs' games for the remainder of the season and his leadership on and off the pitch saw him awarded the team captaincy after the loan departure of Keane to Celtic.

It was announced on 27 January 2010 that he had signed a new five year contract with Tottenham Hotspur taking him to 2015. Dawson's excellent performances throughout the course of the season saw him awarded Tottenham Hotspur's Player of the Year award. His form that season led to Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez calling him "the best English defender I have played against" due to his strength. On Monday 22 August 2011, he started and played the full 90 minutes alongside Younes Kaboul against Manchester United in a 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford. On Sunday 28 August 2011, Dawson started and played the full 90 minutes Manchester City at White Hart Lane in a 5-1 defeat. Dawson is set to miss the rest of the 2011-12 season due to rupture ankle ligament during Spurs' 3-1 FA Cup win over Stevenage.