Richard Dunne
Encyclopedia
Richard Patrick Dunne is an Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

 footballer who plays as a defender
Defender
Defender usually refers to a position in association football .Defender or The Defender may also refer to:-Film and television:* The Defender or The Bodyguard from Beijing, a film starring Jet Li...

 for Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

 and the Republic of Ireland national football team
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....

. With Ireland he was a member of the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...

 squad and helped his team qualify for UEFA Euro 2012.

Dunne began his professional career at Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

. He later spent nearly a decade at Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

 before joining Aston Villa in 2009.

Everton

Having played schoolboy football in Dublin for Home Farm
Home Farm F.C.
Home Farm Football Club is an Irish football club based in Whitehall, Dublin. Originally founded in 1928, the club joined the League of Ireland in 1972 after merging with Drumcondra. Following this merger they were briefly known as Home Farm Drumcondra...

, Dunne joined Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

 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 1996 FA Youth Cup
FA Youth Cup
The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under–18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part...

 squad along with Tony Hibbert
Tony Hibbert
Anthony James "Tony" Hibbert is an English footballer, who currently plays for Everton. Originally a midfielder, Hibbert now plays at right back.-Club career:...

 and Leon Osman
Leon Osman
Leon Osman is an English football player who plays for Everton in the Premier League. He has spent his whole career as an Everton player, though he has spent time on loan at Carlisle United and Derby County.-Biography:...

.

Dunne made his debut under then manager Joe Royle
Joe Royle
Joseph "Joe" Royle is an English football manager. In his club career, he played for Everton , Manchester City, Bristol City, Norwich City, and the England national team...

 in 1997, at the age of seventeen.

Manchester City

In the autumn of 2000, he was signed by Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

 for a fee of £3 million. City had signed both Dunne and Laurent Charvet
Laurent Charvet
Laurent Charvet is a former French football player.Charvet played in the right back position. He began his career at Cannes in 1994. Between then and 1997 he appeared 99 times for the club and scored 19 goals...

 as replacements for right back Richard Edghill
Richard Edghill
Richard Edghill is an English footballer who plays as a defender and is currently unattached.-Manchester City:...

 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
Andy Morrison
Andrew Charles "Andy" Morrison is a Scottish ex-football player who played at centre half. He is currently Assistant Manager at Northwich Victoria.-Early career:...

 and Steve Howey
Steve Howey (footballer)
Stephen Norman "Steve" Howey is a former footballer who played for the England national team. At club level, he made more than 300 appearances in the Football League and the Premier League, playing for Newcastle United, Manchester City, Leicester City, Bolton Wanderers and Hartlepool United...

. His first season saw City relegated into the first division and acquire the services of a new manager, Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....

. 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 person 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
Sylvain Distin
Sylvain Distin is a French footballer who plays for English Premier League side Everton.-Early career:Born in Bagnolet, Distin started his career at French non-league side Joue-les-Tours before moving to Tours a year later, where he played 26 times and scored three goals. He then transferred to...

, amidst rumours of Distin leaving City.

On 18 January 2007, Manchester City teammate Micah Richards
Micah Richards
Micah Lincoln Richards is an English footballer who plays for Manchester City and the England national team. A versatile defender, Richards is equally adept at centre back and right back or in centre midfield...

 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 Terry
John George Terry is an English professional footballer. Terry plays in a centre back position and is the captain of Chelsea in the Premier League...

 and Rio Ferdinand
Rio Ferdinand
Rio Gavin Ferdinand is an English footballer. He plays at centre back for Manchester United in the Premier League and for the England national football team...

 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 Cook (CEO)
Garry Cook is a British football executive, having worked for Manchester City between 2008 and 2011 and Nike between 1996 and 2008.-Nike:Cook started working for sports wear brand Nike in 1996...

, 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 cards. He marked his 29th Birthday with a goal in the 6–0 win against Portsmouth on 21 September 2008, while his eighth Premier League red card against Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...

 in January 2009 equalled a record set by Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City....

 and Duncan Ferguson
Duncan Ferguson
Duncan Cowan Ferguson is a Scottish former footballer. He was notorious for his "hardman" image and nicknamed "Big Dunc" and "Duncan Disorderly"....

.

Aston Villa

Following the signings of Kolo Touré
Kolo Touré
Kolo Habib Touré is an Ivorian footballer who plays for Manchester City and Ivory Coast. Touré is a central defender. He is the elder brother of Manchester City team-mate Yaya Touré and Makasa's Ibrahim Touré.-Arsenal:...

 and Joleon Lescott
Joleon Lescott
Joleon Patrick Lescott is an English footballer who currently plays for Manchester City. He plays as a centre-back, though he has played in various other positions across the defensive line, in particular left-back....

, it was reported that Dunne could leave the City of Manchester Stadium with Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

 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
Transfer window
The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...

 but the Premier League announced that the deal could not be "ratified" until 2 September 2009, when the deal was completed. Martin O'Neill 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 F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...

 at St. Andrews, courtesy of an 85th minute strike from Gabriel Agbonlahor
Gabriel Agbonlahor
Gabriel Imuetinyan "Gabby" Agbonlahor is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Aston Villa. Agbonlahor is a product of Aston Villa's Academy and has earned three caps for the English national team. He is currently the longest-serving player at Villa Park, joining as a youth player in...

. Following the game, Dunne heaped praise on new teammates James Collins
James Collins (footballer)
James Michael Collins is a Welsh footballer who plays for Aston Villa and the Wales national football team.-Cardiff City:...

, Carlos Cuéllar
Carlos Cuéllar
Carlos Javier Cuéllar Jiménez is a Spanish footballer who plays for Aston Villa. He is primarily a central defender, but can also operate as a right-back.-Early career:...

 and Stephen Warnock
Stephen Warnock
Stephen Warnock is an English footballer who plays for Aston Villa as a left-back.He has been capped by England twice and was part of the nation's squad at the 2010 FIFA World Cup...

, claiming that their partnership in defence "seems to have worked reasonably well". On 26 September 2010, Dunne played the full 90 minutes alongside James Collins against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...

 in a 2-1 defeat.

On 5 October 2009, Dunne scored his first goal for Villa, coincidently 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 F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

. He was named in the PFA team of the year for the 2009–2010 season. On 21 November 2010, he started and played the full 90 minutes alongside Ciaran Clark
Ciaran Clark
Ciaran Clark is an English-born Irish professional footballer who plays for Premier League club Aston Villa and the Republic of Ireland national football team...

 against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...

 in a disappointing 2-0 defeat. On 11 December 2010, Richard Dunne was dropped from the team and replaced by Carlos Cuellar
Carlos Cuéllar
Carlos Javier Cuéllar Jiménez is a Spanish footballer who plays for Aston Villa. He is primarily a central defender, but can also operate as a right-back.-Early career:...

. Dunne was recalled to the starting line up in the away game against Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

 at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The 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 Barclays Premier League game with Manchester United at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...

 in a 3-1 defeat. On March 18, 2011, Dunne along with Collins have been fined a total of £200,000 – two weeks’ wages each – by Villa for a boozy row 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 new 2011-2012 campaign, new manager Alex McLeish
Alex McLeish
Alexander "Alex" McLeish , is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager, who is currently managing English Premier League club Aston Villa...

 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 Barclays Asia Trophy
2011 Barclays Asia Trophy
- Third-place playoff :- Final :-Ticket sales:Ticket prices for each match day in Hong Kong dollars were: $130 , $210 , $270 , $330 , $460 ....

 held in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

. On 30 July 2011, he started the final with Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

 and also completed the full 90 minutes in a disappointing 2-0 defeat.

Dunne is known for holding the unfortunate record of scoring the most Premier League own goals, with a current tally of nine. He most recently scored a 93rd minute equalising own goal against QPR
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...

 in a 1-1 draw on 25 September 2011. On 29 October 2011 he scored his first goal of the 2011-12 season in a 2-2 draw against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light
Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches...

.

International career

Dunne made his debut for the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....

 on 26 April 2000 in a 1–0 loss against Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...

 in a friendly match. His first international goal came just two months later in only his third cap as he scored on June 4 against Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...

, helping his team come from 2–0 down to drawing 2–2. He was selected by Mick McCarthy
Mick McCarthy
Michael Joseph "Mick" McCarthy is an English-born former Irish international footballer who is currently the manager of Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he has been in charge since July 2006....

 to play against the likes of Holland and Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...

 during their successful qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...

.

Dunne's first competitive goal for Ireland came against Estonia
Estonia national football team
The Estonia national football team represents Estonia in international association football. Team members are selected by the head coach of Estonian Football Association . Estonia play their home matches at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....

 in a 2–0 win. He was part of the Irish squad that played at the 2002 FIFA World Cup but the centre half pairing of Steve Staunton
Steve Staunton
Stephen "Steve" Staunton is an Irish association football manager and former professional footballer, who was most recently manager of Darlington...

, who was made captain following Roy Keane
Roy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....

s departure, and Gary Breen
Gary Breen
Gary Patrick Breen is an Irish footballer who made more than 500 appearances in the Football League and Premier League. He played for numerous clubs over a 20-year career, including more than 100 appearances each for Coventry City and Sunderland...

 was favoured by Mick McCarthy
Mick McCarthy
Michael Joseph "Mick" McCarthy is an English-born former Irish international footballer who is currently the manager of Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he has been in charge since July 2006....

 meaning Dunne did not even make an appearance as a substitute. The emergence of John O'Shea
John O'Shea
John O'Shea can refer to:*John O'Shea, Irish footballer with Sunderland*John O'Shea , New Zealand film director*John O'Shea *John O'Shea , Wales international rugby union footballer*John O'Shea...

 and Brian Kerrs preference of Kenny Cunningham
Kenny Cunningham
Kenneth Edward "Kenny" Cunningham is an Irish former footballer who played as a defender. He played international football for the Republic of Ireland until his retirement in 2005...

 meant that Dunne's chances with Ireland were extremely limited during their unsuccessful attempt to qualify for UEFA Euro 2004. He did score his fourth international goal in a friendly against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...

 just prior to the end of the campaign. Dunne again found himself out of favour with Kerr during the qualification campaign
2006 FIFA World Cup qualification - UEFA Group 4
The 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group 4 was a UEFA qualifying group for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The group comprised Cyprus, Faroe Islands, France, Republic of Ireland, Israel and Switzerland....

 for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup 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 won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...

, only featuring in the final three matches which included a 1–0 defeat to France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...

, 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 national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....

 and a humiliating 5–2 loss to Cyprus
Cyprus national football team
The Cyprus national football team represents Cyprus in association football and is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association, the governing body for football in Cyprus. Cyprus' home ground is the GSP Stadium in Nicosia and the current coach is Nikos Nioplias...

, 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 Trappatoni was appointed Ireland manager for the qualification campaign ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...

 and with it is has cemented Richard Dunne as Ireland's top defender and one of the best players. He 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 national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...

, as well as winning the man of the match award in the away game held in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...

. He also played the entire matches in both legs against France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...

 as Ireland were controversially knocked out 2–1 on aggregate after extra-time
France vs Republic of Ireland 2010 FIFA World Cup play-off
The France vs Republic of Ireland 2010 FIFA World Cup play-off, dubbed by the media as the Hand of Frog affair, was a controversial association football game played on 18 November 2009 in the Stade de France outside Paris between the national teams of France and the Republic of Ireland...

. Dunne was famously pictured sitting distraught on the pitch in Paris as Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...

, the very person who had seconds earlier cheated Ireland out of their place at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, consoled him.

On 8 February 2011, Dunne started and completed the full 90 minutes in Ireland's first Nations Cup game against Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...

 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
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...

 in a 2-1 victory at the Aviva Stadium
Aviva Stadium
The Aviva Stadium is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 50,000 spectators. The stadium is built on the site of the old Lansdowne Road venue, which was demolished in 2007, and replaces that stadium as home to its chief tenants: the Irish rugby union team and the...

. On Wednesday 10 August 2011, he started and played the full 90 minutes alongside Sean St. Ledger in the goalless draw against Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...

 at the Aviva Stadium
Aviva Stadium
The Aviva Stadium is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 50,000 spectators. The stadium is built on the site of the old Lansdowne Road venue, which was demolished in 2007, and replaces that stadium as home to its chief tenants: the Irish rugby union team and the...

.

On Tuesday 6 September 2011, Dunne started and played the full 90 minutes in the goalless draw against Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...

 in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

. Dunne gave perhaps the best performance of his career to date, 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 Villa centre half Paul McGrath
Paul McGrath (footballer)
Paul McGrath is a retired Irish footballer, who played as a defender. McGrath is widely recognised as one of the greatest players to have ever come out of Ireland....

 described Dunne's heroics as the best performance from an Irish centre half he had ever witnessed, including his own legendary performance against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...

 in the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...

.

On Tuesday 11 October 2011, Dunne started and played the full 90 minutes alongside Sean St. Ledger in a 2-1 victory for Ireland over Armenia
Armenia national football team
The Armenia national football team represents Armenia in association football and is controlled by the Football Federation of Armenia, the governing body for football in Armenia...

 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
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying play-offs
The UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying play-off ties were played over two legs, with the first legs on 11 November and the second legs on 15 November 2011...

 over their opponents, Dunne described it as "the best experience I've probably had in football".

International goals

Scores and results list Ireland's goal tally first
Date Venue Opponent Result Competition Tally
4 June 2000 Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...

, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

, USA 
2–2 U.S. Cup  1
11 October 2000 Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...

, Dublin 
2–0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification....

 
2
6 June 2001 Lilleküla Stadium, Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...

, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...

 
2–0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification....

 
3
9 September 2003 Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...

, Dublin 
2–2 Friendly
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...

 
4
7 October 2006 Neo GSP Stadium
Neo GSP Stadium
The Pancyprian Gymnastic Association Stadium is a football stadium in Nicosia, Cyprus. Although small by international standards, it is the largest stadium in Cyprus, with a capacity of 22,859 and was built in 1999. It serves as the home stadium for the Nicosia Clubs of APOEL, Olympiakos Nicosia...

, Nicosia
Nicosia
Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...

, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...

 
2–5 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying  5
28 March 2009 Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...

, Dublin 
1–1 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of...

 
6
6 June 2009 Vasil Levski National Stadium
Vasil Levski National Stadium
Vasil Levski National Stadium , named after Bulgarian national hero Vasil Levski, is one of Bulgaria's largest sports venues and the country's second largest stadium...

, Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...

, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...

 
1–1 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of...

 
7
11 October 2011 Aviva Stadium
Aviva Stadium
The Aviva Stadium is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 50,000 spectators. The stadium is built on the site of the old Lansdowne Road venue, which was demolished in 2007, and replaces that stadium as home to its chief tenants: the Irish rugby union team and the...

, Dublin 
2–1 UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine...

 
8

Club

Everton
  • FA Youth Cup
    FA Youth Cup
    The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under–18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part...

    : Winner 1998


Manchester City
  • Football League First Division
    Football League First Division
    The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

    : Winner 2001/2002


Aston Villa
  • League Cup
    League Cup
    In 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 to be called "League Cup" was held in Scotland in 1946/47 and was entitled the Scottish...

    : Runner up 2010

Individual

  • PFA Team of the Year
    PFA Team of the Year
    The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the top four tiers of English football; the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two, whom are seen to be deserving of being named in a "Team of the Year".The award...

    : 2010
  • FAI Senior International Player of the Year: 2007

Club

|-
|1996–97||rowspan="5"|Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

||rowspan="5"|Premier League||7||0||1||0||0||0||0||0||8||0
|-
|1997–98||3||0||1||0||0||0||0||0||4||0
|-
|1998–99||16||0||2||0||2||0||0||0||20||0
|-
|1999–00||31||0||4||0||1||0||0||0||36||0
|-
|2000–01||3||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||4||0
|-
!colspan="3"|Total
!60!!0!!8!!0!!4!!0!!0!!0!!72!!0
|-
|2000–01||rowspan="10"|Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

||Premier League||25||0||3||0||0||0||0||0||28||0
|-
|2001–02||Division 1
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

||43||1||3||0||3||0||0||0||49||1
|-
|2002–03||rowspan="8"|Premier League||25||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||26||0
|-
|2003–04||29||0||5||0||2||0||4||0||40||0
|-
|2004–05||35||1||1||0||0||0||0||0||36||1
|-
|2005–06||32||3||5||0||1||0||0||0||38||3
|-
|2006–07||38||1||5||0||1||0||0||0||44||1
|-
|2007–08||36||0||3||0||3||0||0||0||42||0
|-
|2008–09||31||1||1||0||1||0||14||0||47||1
|-
|2009–10||2||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||2||0
|-
!colspan="3"|Total
!296!!7!!26!!0!!12!!0!!18!!0!!352!!7
|-
|2009–10||rowspan="3"|Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

||rowspan="3"|Premier League||35||3||4||0||5||0||0||0||44||3
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Premier League
The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011...

||32||0||2||0||1||0||0||0||35||0
|-
|2011–12
2011–12 Aston Villa F.C. season
The 2011–12 Aston Villa F.C. season will be Aston Villa's 137th professional season; their 101st season in the top-flight; and their 24th consecutive season in the top flight of English football, the Premier League...

||10||1||0||0||1||0||0||0||11||1
|-
!colspan="3"|Total
!74!!3!!7!!0!!7!!0!!0!!0!!87!!3
|-
430||10||40||0||23||0||18||0||511||10

External links

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