Hailing from Haywards Heath, he joined the club’s centre of excellence at the age of six, and worked his way through the youth system to make his debut as a late substitute against Plymouth in August 2005.
The livewire winger had to wait until the opening day of the 2006/07 at Rotherham United to make his full debut – yet what should have been a memorable occasion for the 18-year-old was tainted by a red card picked up on the stroke of half-time.
“I over-celebrated Alex Revell's goal with the fans for the first yellow and then mistimed a tackle on the halfway line for the second,” recalls Cox of the 1-0 win. “I got an earful from Mark McGhee afterwards which I clearly remember.
“At that age, you don’t even think about what others might be thinking but it was definitely a character-building moment and, as disastrous as it sounds, I think that game set me up to be quite resilient.
“Anything that came my way afterwards, I think I dealt with it better because that was a devastating moment for me. I bounced back and went on to play a good number of games for Albion that season and over the course of the next four seasons which I’m extremely proud of.”
Indeed, Cox made 50 appearances that campaign in all competitions, scoring an impressive ten goals and quickly establishing himself as a fans’ favourite in the process. Standing at just 5ft 6ins, he had also countered the notion that the lower leagues were simply a haven for strong, powerful, physical players.
“I always had people saying I was too small and that I wouldn’t be able to deal with things physically,” he recalls. “Once I got to 15 or 16, they put me on a special weights programme and I was doing a little more than most. I then went on loan quite early at Burgess Hill to play men’s football and I think that helped me develop.
“I’m small and I’m never going to get away from that, but I worked on things like my first touch and awareness – things other than being able to shoulder barge someone. I’ve always been quite a tenacious player anyway, but I tried to get myself into positions where I didn’t have to rely on my physicality.
“My coaches, Dean Wilkins, Hinsh [Martin Hinshelwood] and Vic [Bragg], were always telling me to get pictures into my head early – and I also worked on my crossing, my finishing and things that perhaps somebody else didn’t have. I think my other attributes shone through and that’s why I was given a chance. It took hard work and lots of dedication but, being a local lad, it was great to work my way through to sign my first contract with the club.”
Dean went on to make 179 appearances, scoring 22 goals, and while that debut season was clearly memorable, the ‘Great Escape’ under Russell Slade at the end of 2008/09 also stands out in his memory.
“The last seven games were pretty much cup finals where myself, Gary Hart and Lloyd Owusu scored some crucial goals,” he recalls of the League One campaign. “In the back of my mind I was thinking, ‘this is going to be a tough ask’ but I knew there was always a chance.
“Russell actually told us we had seven cup finals and we had to win as many as we could. We attacked as a team and defended as a team, and luckily enough the goals and wins that we got were enough to keep us up.
“Nicky Forster, Lloyd – who played a massive part – and Gary all had great careers, they were fantastic players and at that time we needed their
experience to help the youth. They guided us in the right way and helped us to avoid relegation.”
The arrival of Gus Poyet as manager signalled the end of Cox’s stay on the south coast and he headed to Leyton Orient in June 2010, where he enjoyed a fruitful six seasons, making over 200 league appearances and scoring almost 70 goals. He had left Withdean with a heavy heart but did so with pride, having beaten the odds to become a first-team regular.
“It was a challenging journey – we all know that only a few players in the youth team go on to get a pro contract – so I was proud to become a regular for the club,” he concludes.
“We had a really good youth system and when Dean [Wilkins] got the [first-team] job, there was near enough a whole team of youth products and that was fantastic for the football club.
“Jake Robinson, Tommy Fraser, Tommy Elphick, Joel Lynch, Joe Gatting, Sam Rents… all made their mark and I was delighted to make as many
appearances as I did.
“When I look back, I learnt so much during those days that I have since taken with me throughout my career. It’s amazing to see where the club is now, compared to my days, but I’m proud to have been a part of that journey.”