Having spent time with Swansea City and Hull City, Hawkins signed his first professional contract with Salford City in 2019, and made his senior debut in September 2020 when he featured against Manchester United under-21s in the EFL Trophy.

Later that month, he went out on loan to Marine , before taking in a second loan spell with fellow Northern Premier League side Stafford Rangers.

Upon returning to Salford, Cardiff-born Hawkins’ time with the Manchester club came to an end in July 2021 when he departed to link up with Finn Harps in the League of Ireland Premier Division.

“Dan is the calibre of player we’re looking to attract not only now, but in the future as well” – Tony Pennock

The youngster impressed during his time at Finn Park, and as a result he earned a move to newly-promoted Shelbourne for the 2022 League of Ireland Premier Division season, having caught the eye of Shels manager and former Ireland international, Damien Duff.