Richard Patrick Dunne (born 21 September 1979) is an Irish former
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
and current television pundit for
BT Sport
BT Sport is a group of pay television sports channels in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Owned by Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe and BT Group, they first launched on 1 August 2013. The channels are based at the former International Bro ...
, who played as a
defender. He made 431
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
appearances, including 253 for
Manchester City.
Dunne began his professional career at
Everton. He later spent nearly a decade at
Manchester City before joining
Aston Villa in 2009. In July 2013, he signed for
Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus Ro ...
. He has also played internationally for the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...
from 2000 until 2014. With Ireland he was a member of the
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial football world championship for men's national teams organized by FIFA. It was held from 31 May to 30 June 2002 at sites in South Korea an ...
squad and played in
UEFA Euro 2012
The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th UEFA European Championship, European Championship for List of men's national association football teams#UEFA (Europe), men's ...
. Dunne announced his retirement from football in November 2015 after being released by
Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus Ro ...
.
Dunne holds the joint
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
record of being sent off – eight times along with
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira (born 23 June 1976) is a French professional football manager and former player who is the manager of club Crystal Palace. He is widely considered as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. Vieira began his career at ...
and
Duncan Ferguson. He also holds the Premier League record of scoring 10
own goals.
Club career
Everton
Having played schoolboy football in Dublin for
Home Farm, Dunne joined
Everton as a 15-year-old schoolboy in the 1994–95 season. The next season, he started to play for Everton reserves and in early 1997, Dunne signed a 5-year professional contract. He was part of the successful 1998
FA Youth Cup squad along with
Tony Hibbert
Anthony James Hibbert (born 20 February 1981) is an English footballer, currently playing for French amateur side ES Louzy.
Originally a midfielder, Hibbert converted to play at right-back. He spent his entire professional career with Everton, ...
and
Leon Osman
Leon Osman (born 17 May 1981) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He spent almost all of his career at Everton, making 433 appearances and scoring 57 goals. Earlier in his career he spent time on loan at Fo ...
.
Dunne made his debut under then manager
Joe Royle
Joseph Royle (born 8 April 1949) is an English football manager and former footballer. In his playing career as a striker, he debuted for Everton at the age of 16 and went on to play for Manchester City, Bristol City, Norwich City, and the ...
in 1997, at the age of seventeen. Under
Walter Smith
Walter Ferguson Smith (24 February 1948 – 26 October 2021) was a Scottish association football player, manager and director, primarily associated with his two spells as manager of Glasgow club Rangers.
A defender, Smith's playing car ...
, however, he was often used out of position at right back, and was punished by Smith for two separate disciplinary incidents.
Wimbledon reportedly had a bid accepted for Dunne, only for it to fall through, and Dunne stayed at Everton for another year, again usually filling in at right back.
Manchester City
In the autumn of 2000, Dunne was signed by
Manchester City for a fee of £3.5 million, rejoining his former manager Joe Royle. City had signed both Dunne and
Laurent Charvet
Laurent Jean Charvet (born 8 May 1973) is a French former footballer who played as a right back.
Charvet played for Cannes having come through their youth academy in 1991, he went on to play in the Premier League for Chelsea, Newcastle United, ...
as replacements for right back
Richard Edghill
Richard Arlon Edghill (born 23 September 1974) is an English football coach and former professional footballer.
He played as a defender from 1993 to 2008, spending the majority of his career with his home town club, Manchester City. He spent ...
who had suffered from a dip in form.
It was in the centre of defence where Dunne made his biggest impact on the team. Dunne had various partners in the centre of defence in his first season at the club and for a few games he played in a three-man defence with
Andy Morrison
Andrew Charles Morrison (born 30 July 1970) is a Scottish football manager and former footballer who is currently head coach of the Sri Lanka national team.
As a player he was a central defender who played in the Premier League with Blackburn R ...
and
Steve Howey. His first season saw City relegated into the
First Division and acquire the services of a new manager,
Kevin Keegan. Manchester City made an instant return to the Premier League, finishing the
2001–02 season as
First Division champions. Disciplinary problems in 2003 resulted in a club suspension, and his time at Manchester City looked to be over. However, Dunne returned to the first team following an intensive fitness programme, and within a few months gained an international recall.
A number of consistent performances resulted in Dunne receiving Manchester City's Player of the Year award for
2004–05, which he also won in the
2005–06,
2006–07 and
2007–08 seasons, becoming the first player to win City's PotY award four times. In the 2006 close season, at the age of 26, Dunne was appointed club
captain, taking over from
Sylvain Distin, amidst rumours of Distin leaving City.
On 18 January 2007, Manchester City teammate
Micah Richards
Micah Lincoln Richards (born 24 June 1988) is an English former professional footballer, sports pundit for Sky Sports and BBC Sport, and as an ambassador of Manchester City.
As a player, he was a right back who played in the Premier League and ...
said:
"Ever since I've come to this club Richard has just been quality. I play with him week in, week out and I think he's one of the best players I've played with. I've played with
John Terry
John George Terry (born 7 December 1980) is an English professional football coach and former player who played as a centre-back. He was previously captain of Chelsea, the England national team and Aston Villa. He was most recently the a ...
and
Rio Ferdinand
Rio Gavin Ferdinand (born 7 November 1978) is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre-back, and is now a television pundit for BT Sport. He played 81 times for the England national team between 1997 and 2011, and w ...
in the England squad but Richard is right up there with them."
On 4 July 2008, Dunne signed a new four-year contract with Manchester City to keep him at the club until 2012.
In August 2008,
Garry Cook
Garry Peter Cook (born 10 January 1958) is a former British track and field athlete, who competed mainly in the 800 metres with a best time of 1:44.55 minutes.
Athletics career
He competed for Great Britain in the 1984 Summer Olympics held in L ...
, chief executive of City, said "China and India are gagging for football content to watch and we're going to tell them that City is their content. We need a superstar to get through that door. Richard Dunne doesn't roll off the tongue in Beijing."
Dunne continued to play throughout
2008–09 making 47 starts in all competitions despite three
red card A red card is a type of penalty card that is shown in many sports after a rules infraction.
Red card may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''Red Card'' (album), 1976 release by Streetwalkers
* Red card, suit (cards) of hearts or d ...
s. He marked his 29th Birthday with a goal in the 6–0 win against
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
on 21 September 2008, while his eighth Premier League red card against
Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1932, ...
in January 2009 equalled a record set by
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira (born 23 June 1976) is a French professional football manager and former player who is the manager of club Crystal Palace. He is widely considered as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. Vieira began his career at ...
and
Duncan Ferguson.
Aston Villa
Following the signings of
Kolo Touré
Kolo Abib Touré (born 19 March 1981) is an Ivorian professional football coach and former player who is the manager of Championship side Wigan Athletic. He played as a defender for Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Celtic and the Ivory Co ...
and
Joleon Lescott, it was reported that Dunne could leave the
City of Manchester Stadium with
Aston Villa the most likely destination. Villa confirmed on 27 August 2009, that they had agreed a fee with Manchester City for the defender. Aston Villa filed the paperwork for the deal before the close of the
transfer window
A transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other playing staff into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA. "Transfer wi ...
but the Premier League announced that the deal could not be "ratified" until 2 September 2009, when the deal was completed. Villa manager
Martin O'Neill
Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill, (born 1 March 1952) is a Northern Irish professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder.
Starting his career in Northern Ireland, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playi ...
later stated the fee paid for Dunne was £5 million and that the player had signed a four-year deal.
Dunne made his debut in a 1–0 win over
Birmingham City
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Sin ...
at
St. Andrew's, courtesy of an 85th-minute strike from
Gabriel Agbonlahor
Gabriel Imuetinyan Agbonlahor (born 13 October 1986) is an English former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward; he mostly played as a central Striker (association football), strike ...
. Following the game, Dunne praised his new teammates
James Collins,
Carlos Cuéllar and
Stephen Warnock, claiming that their partnership in defence "seems to have worked reasonably well". On 26 September 2010, Dunne played the full 90 minutes alongside Collins against
Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...
at
Ewood Park in a 2–1 defeat.
On 5 October 2009, Dunne scored his first goal for Villa, coincidentally against his former club Manchester City, in a 1–1 draw.
He was applauded by Manchester City fans for his respect in refusing to celebrate his goal. He netted his second goal later that month in the team's 2–1 home victory over
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
. On 28 February 2010, he started for Aston Villa in their
2010 Football League Cup Final
The 2010 Football League Cup Final was the final match of the 2009–10 Football League Cup, the 50th season of the Football League Cup, a football competition for the 92 teams in the Premier League and The Football League. The match, played at W ...
defeat to
Manchester United at
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 2002 to 2003. The stadium ...
. He was named in the
PFA Team of the Year for the 2009–10 season.
On 21 November 2010, he started and played the full 90 minutes alongside
Ciaran Clark against Blackburn Rovers in a 2–0 defeat at Ewood Park. On 11 December 2010, Dunne was dropped from the team and replaced by Carlos Cuéllar. Dunne was recalled to the starting line up in the away game against Chelsea at
Stamford Bridge which Villa ended up drawing 3–3. On 1 February 2011, he started and completed the full 90 minutes alongside James Collins in the Premier League game with Manchester United at
Old Trafford in a 3–1 defeat.
On 18 March 2011, Dunne and Collins were fined a total of £200,000 – two weeks' wages each – by Villa for a drunken confrontation with club staff during a team-bonding exercise.
At the end of the
2010–11 season, Dunne made 35 appearances in all competitions for Villa. Ahead of the
2011–12 season, new manager
Alex McLeish
Alexander McLeish (born 21 January 1959) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player. He played as a defender for Aberdeen during their 1980s glory years, making nearly 500 League appearances for the club, and won 77 caps for ...
has said because of his aerial ability and such good awareness on the ball he will be an automatic first choice at the back. On 27 July 2011, he started and played the full 90 minutes in the 1–0 victory over Blackburn Rovers in the
2011 Premier League Asia Trophy held in Hong Kong. On 30 July 2011, he started the final with Chelsea and also completed the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 defeat.
On 12 February 2012, Dunne fractured his right
clavicle
The clavicle, or collarbone, is a slender, S-shaped long bone approximately 6 inches (15 cm) long that serves as a strut between the shoulder blade and the sternum (breastbone). There are two clavicles, one on the left and one on the r ...
in a collision with
Joe Hart
Charles Joseph John Hart (born 19 April 1987) known professionally simply as Joe Hart is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Scottish Premiership club Celtic.
He began his career at his hometown club Shrewsbury T ...
during a Premier League match against his former club Manchester City. He had surgery in Birmingham the following day. Dunne travelled to the
NFL team the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (A ...
in order to attain specialised medical care for his injury, who at the time were owned by then-chairman of Aston Villa, Randy Lerner.
In May 2013, manager
Paul Lambert
Paul Lambert (born 7 August 1969) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player, who was most recently the manager of Ipswich Town.
Lambert played as a midfielder and won the Scottish Cup in 1987 with St Mirren as a 17-year-ol ...
announced that the Irishman was being released on a free transfer.
Queens Park Rangers
Dunne joined
Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus Ro ...
on 15 July 2013, on a free transfer. He made his first QPR appearance against
Exeter City
Exeter City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Exeter, Devon, England. The team play in , the third tier of the English football league system. Known as "the Grecians", the origin of their nickname is subject to ...
in the
League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
. He scored his first goal for Rangers against
Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, Lancashire, Preston, at the confluence of the River C ...
on 1 February 2014. In his first season at QPR he made a total of 45 appearances scoring one goal and was part of the team that won promotion back to the
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
via the
2014 Football League Championship play-off Final against
Derby County
Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group.
Founded in 188 ...
.
Dunne holds the unfortunate record of the most own goals in the Premier League, scoring his tenth in a 3–2 defeat against
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
on 19 October 2014, in a game which saw QPR score two own goals to hand Liverpool the victory.
QPR were eventually relegated that season, finishing in last place with 20 more goals conceded than any other side. Dunne made a total of 24 appearances.
On 31 May 2015, Dunne's contract expired and, along with five other players he was released by the club. There was considerable speculation regarding his plans after QPR and he was linked with moves to
MLS
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
, the
Indian Super League
The Indian Super League (ISL) is an Indian professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Organised by the All India Football Federat ...
and the
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland ( ga, Sraith na hÉireann), together with the Football Association of Ireland, is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland. The term was originally use ...
. None of these materialized however, and he formally announced his retirement from football in November 2015. He now lives with his wife and two children in
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo (; ; french: Monte-Carlo , or colloquially ''Monte-Carl'' ; lij, Munte Carlu ; ) is officially an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is ...
.
International career
Dunne played for the
Republic of Ireland national under-19 football team
The Republic of Ireland national under-19 football team, is the national under-19 football team of the Republic of Ireland and is controlled by the Football Association of Ireland and competes in the biennial European Under-19 Football Championsh ...
in the
1997 UEFA European Under-18 Football Championship
The 1997 UEFA European Under-18 Championship Final Tournament was held in Iceland.
Teams
The following teams qualified for the tournament:
*
*
* (host)
*
*
*
*
*
Group stage Group A
----
----
Group B
Third place match
F ...
finals in Iceland. Dunne made his debut for the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...
on 26 April 2000 in a 1–0 loss against
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
in a friendly match. His first international goal came just two months later in only his third cap as he scored on 4 June against
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, helping his team come from 2–0 down to drawing 2–2. He was selected by
Mick McCarthy
Michael Joseph McCarthy (born 7 February 1959) is a professional football manager, pundit, and former player. He was last in charge of EFL Championship club Cardiff City.
McCarthy began his playing career at Barnsley in 1977, and he later had ...
to play against the likes of the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
and
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
during
Ireland's successful 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, where he also scored his first competitive international goal in a 2–0 win against
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
.
Dunne was part of the Irish squad that played at the
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial football world championship for men's national teams organized by FIFA. It was held from 31 May to 30 June 2002 at sites in South Korea an ...
, but the centre-half pairing of
Gary Breen and
Steve Staunton
Stephen Staunton (born 19 January 1969) is an Irish football manager, scout and former professional footballer.
He played as a defender with two separate spells each with Premier League sides Aston Villa and Liverpool. He also played in the Fo ...
(the latter of whom became team captain following
the departure
The Departure was an English rock band from Northampton, formed in October 2003. Their debut album, '' Dirty Words'', was released 13 June 2005 by Parlophone. A second album, ''Inventions'', was expected to be released in early 2008, but was no ...
of
Roy Keane) was favoured by Mick McCarthy, meaning Dunne did not even make an appearance as a substitute. The emergence of
John O'Shea
John Francis O'Shea (; born 30 April 1981) is an Irish professional football coach and former player. He was known for his versatility in playing several positions on either side of the pitch or the centre.
Born in Waterford, O'Shea joined Man ...
, and
Brian Kerr's preference for
Kenny Cunningham
Kenneth Edward Cunningham (born 28 June 1971) is an Irish former footballer who played as a defender. He played international football for the Republic of Ireland until his retirement in 2005. He spent his professional club career, from 1989 t ...
, meant that Dunne's chances with Ireland were extremely limited during their unsuccessful attempt to qualify for
UEFA Euro 2004
The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2004, was the 12th edition of the UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football competition contested by the men's national teams of UEFA member associations. The ...
. He did score his fourth international goal in a friendly against
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
just prior to the end of the campaign. Dunne again found himself out of favour with Kerr during
the qualification campaign for the
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host th ...
, only featuring in the final three matches which included a 1–0 defeat to
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, a game that ultimately cost Ireland qualification. Another change of manager for Ireland saw Dunne's former teammate, Steve Staunton, use him during the majority of the
Euro 2008 qualification campaign. Early defeats to
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and a humiliating 5–2 loss to
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...
, a match in which Dunne scored before giving away a penalty and being sent off, ensured qualification was always beyond the Irish. Dunne only missed three of the twelve matches, due to suspension and injury rather than form.
Giovanni Trapattoni
Giovanni Trapattoni (; born 17 March 1939), sometimes popularly known as "Trap" or "Il Trap", is an Italian football manager and former player, considered the most successful club coach of Italian football. A former defensive midfielder, as a p ...
was appointed Ireland manager for
the qualification campaign ahead of the
2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
and cemented Dunne as Ireland's first choice central defender. Dunne played in all ten games helping Ireland finish second and qualify for a play-off whilst also scoring goals in both 1–1 draws with
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
, as well as winning the man of the match award in the away game held in
Sofia
Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and h ...
. He also played the entire matches in both legs against France, as Ireland were
controversially knocked out 2–1 on aggregate after extra-time. Dunne was famously pictured sitting distraught on the pitch in Paris as
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry (born 17 August 1977) is a French professional football coach, pundit, and former player who is an assistant coach for the Belgium national team. Considered one of the best strikers of all time and one of the best player ...
, who assisted
William Gallas
William Eric Gallas (born 17 August 1977) is a French former professional footballer who played as a defender. He played most of his footballing career in France and England before finishing his career in Australia with A-League club Perth Glo ...
' winning goal after controlling the ball with his hand, consoled Dunne.
On 8 February 2011, Dunne started and completed the full 90 minutes in Ireland's first
Nations Cup game against
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
in a 3–0 win. On 26 March 2011, he started and played the full 90 minutes in the Group B
Euro 2012 qualifier against
Macedonia in a 2–1 victory at the
Aviva Stadium
Aviva Stadium (also known as Lansdowne Road) is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 51,700 spectators (all seated). It is built on the site of the former Lansdowne Road Stadium, which was demolished in 2007, and ...
. On 10 August 2011, he started and played the full 90 minutes alongside
Sean St. Ledger in the goalless draw against
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
at the
Aviva Stadium
Aviva Stadium (also known as Lansdowne Road) is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 51,700 spectators (all seated). It is built on the site of the former Lansdowne Road Stadium, which was demolished in 2007, and ...
.
On 6 September 2011, Dunne started and played the full 90 minutes in the goalless draw against
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
in Moscow. Dunne gave perhaps the best performance of his career, winning the man of the match award as he almost single-handedly stopped a Russian team which totally dominated midfield and created wave after wave of attacks. Former Ireland defender
Paul McGrath described Dunne's heroics as the best performance from an Irish central defender he had ever witnessed, including his own performance against
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
in the
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup was the 15th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national soccer teams. It was hosted by the United States and took place from June 17 to July 17, 1994, at nine venues across the country. The United States ...
.
On 11 October 2011, Dunne started and played the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 victory for Ireland over
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ' ...
at the Aviva Stadium which gained them a play-off spot for UEFA Euro 2012, scoring in the 60th minute his eighth goal on his 69th international appearance for his country. After the team qualified for UEFA Euro 2012 with
an unprecedented 5–1 aggregate play-off win over their opponents Estonia, Dunne described it as "the best experience I've probably had in football". He started in all three of Ireland's
Group C
Group C was a category of sports car racing introduced by the FIA in 1982 and continuing until 1993, with ''Group A'' for touring cars and ''Group B'' for GTs.
It was designed to replace both Group 5 special production cars (closed top touri ...
matches at
UEFA Euro 2012
The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th UEFA European Championship, European Championship for List of men's national association football teams#UEFA (Europe), men's ...
, as they were defeated 3–1 by
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
, 4–0 by
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, and 2–0 by Italy.
On 2 June 2013, Dunne made his return to the national team for the first time in a year as a second half substitution against
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
in a 4–0 Irish win.
Dunne made his return to the Irish team in his first competitive game for 15 months in a 1–2 loss to
Sweden at the
Aviva Stadium
Aviva Stadium (also known as Lansdowne Road) is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 51,700 spectators (all seated). It is built on the site of the former Lansdowne Road Stadium, which was demolished in 2007, and ...
in
2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying
The 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. The 2014 FIFA World Cup featured 32 teams, with one place reserved for the host nation, Brazil. The remaining 31 places were determined by ...
.
On 31 July 2014, Dunne retired from international football.
International goals
:''Scores and results list Ireland's goal tally first''
Media career
After retiring in 2015 he joined
BT Sport
BT Sport is a group of pay television sports channels in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Owned by Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe and BT Group, they first launched on 1 August 2013. The channels are based at the former International Bro ...
as a pundit for their coverage of the
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
,
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
,
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
and
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
. Dunne has been praised for his insightful and opinionated style of punditry.
Honours
Club
Everton
*
FA Youth Cup:
1997–98
Manchester City
*
Football League First Division:
2001–02
Aston Villa
*
Football League Cup runner-up:
2009–10
Queens Park Rangers
*
Football League Championship play-offs
The English Football League Championship play-offs are a series of play-off matches contested by the association football teams finishing from third to sixth in the EFL Championship table and are part of the English Football League play-offs. , ...
:
2013–14
International
;Republic of Ireland
*
UEFA European Under-18 Football Championship
The UEFA European Under-19 Championship, or simply UEFA Under-19 Championship or the UEFA Euro U-19, is an annual football competition contested by the European men's under-19 national teams of the member associations of UEFA.
Spain and Englan ...
: 1998
*
Nations Cup:
2011
Individual
*
PFA Team of the Year (1): 2010
*
FAI Senior International Player of the Year (2): 2007, 2011
*
Manchester City F.C. Player of the Year (4): 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
Career statistics
Club
:A. The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the
Football League play-offs
The English Football League play-offs are a series of play-off matches contested by the four association football teams finishing immediately below the automatic promotion places in the second, third and fourth tiers of the English football leagu ...
.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dunne, Richard
1979 births
Living people
Sportspeople from South Dublin (county)
People from Tallaght
People from Monte Carlo
Republic of Ireland association footballers
Association football defenders
Home Farm F.C. players
Everton F.C. players
Manchester City F.C. players
Aston Villa F.C. players
Queens Park Rangers F.C. players
Premier League players
English Football League players
Republic of Ireland youth international footballers
Republic of Ireland B international footballers
Republic of Ireland international footballers
2002 FIFA World Cup players
UEFA Euro 2012 players
Republic of Ireland expatriate association footballers
Irish expatriate sportspeople in England
Expatriate footballers in England
Irish expatriates in Monaco