Richard Dunne was a Premier League regular in the 2000’s.
He went on to make 604 appearances in his career, all of which with teams in English football. Most known for his time at Manchester City, he also played for Everton and Aston Villa, before ending his time with Queens Park Rangers.
Dunne also made 80 appearances for the Republic of Ireland, being part of the infamous 2002 FIFA World Cup squad and a regular in their UEFA Euro 2012 starting lineup.
He has been part of some historic rivalry games, playing in the Manchester Derby, the Merseyside Derby and West Midlands Derby, as well as playing at some of English football's most iconic grounds.
Making the move from Dublin to England
Dunne grew up in Dublin but made the decision at the age of 16 to move to England as he joined the Everton youth academy.
Speaking to VAVEL via William Hill odds on Declan Rice Ballon D’or, he spoke of the difficulty he faced making the move away from his native homeland at such a young age.
“Yeah it was tough. If you’re 16 and moving country, it’s not easy. It makes it easier because your time is occupied by football, but there were certainly times within that first six to 12 months, when you think about packing up and going home.
“But Everton were brilliant with me, they gave me time to go home and see my family. They brought my family over and helped me settle. It was tough but it was worth it for how it went in the end.”
Dunne made 60 Premier League appearances for Everton during his time with the Merseyside club. He spoke of advice he received that stuck with him throughout his career.
“I used to be taken aside by Dave Watson, who would help me and train with me and teach me all sorts of stuff. It wasn’t just one sentence, it was everything. How he taught me about the game, how he taught me about defending. It was all that sort of stuff that sticks with you.
“I think every centre half that’s playing, you go through a phase of learning from the guy who’s playing beside you to then passing that information on to the next generation. I was lucky where I had quite a lot of experienced centre halves at Everton but Dave Watson was probably the main one who was more than happy to pass on his knowledge.”
Life at Manchester City before and after the takeover
Richard Dunne: "The Man City success was coming"
15 Sep 2001: Richard Dunne of Manchester City scores during the Nationwide League Division One match between Manchester City and Birmingham City at Maine Road in Manchester, England. Manchester City won 3-0. \ Mandatory Credit: Tom Shaw /Allsport
Dunne moved to Man City in 2000 and would go on to make 352 appearances for the club in all competitions, captaining the side in the process. Leaving in 2009, he is in rare company.
He was at City both before and after the takeover, as well as playing at both Maine Road and the Etihad Stadium, which was built in 2003.
Firstly, Dunne spoke on which of the two stadiums he preferred to play at.
“I think everyone will say the old stadium, Maine Road. You can’t compare them. One is pure noise, pure passion. The other one is a little bit more corporate but it can create an atmosphere.
“Everything is just top notch at the Etihad. It was probably the most modern stadium at the time. Everything was perfect about it. I enjoyed both. In terms of noise and atmosphere, I think it’s Maine Road.”
Secondly, Dunne spoke on the Sheikh Mansour takeover that was announced in 2008 and the feeling around the club when it all unfolded.
“It was brilliant, it was very exciting. I remember we were sat and were watching all the bids going in for different players thinking this is fantastic. But also in the back of your mind you’re thinking I’m next, someone else coming into my position. It was brilliant.
“There’s been so many owners over the last 20 years that have come into English football that have done that and not kept their promises they made at the start. He has been unbelievable. From day one, the ambition was to get Man City to the very top.
“Whether he could do that or not, people doubted, but he’s proven true to his word. He’s turned City from being everyone’s favourite second team and a team that would go up and down in the league into now one of the giants of world football.”
Missed opportunities at Aston Villa
Richard Dunne: "The Man City success was coming"
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 28: Richard Dunne of Aston Villa tackles Wayne Rooney of Manchester United during the Carling Cup Final between Aston Villa and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on February 28, 2010 in London, England. (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)
Dunne would leave City for Villa following the signings of Kolo Touré and Joleon Lescott. He went on to score his first goal for the Midlands side against the club that had just let him go.
During his time with the club, he would make a total of 111 appearances for the former European champions. He helped guide the team to an appearance in the League Cup final against Manchester United during his first season.
In that game, Villa went 1-0 up after Gabriel Agbonlahor was fouled by Nemanja Vidic, with James Milner converting his effort from the penalty spot.
However, there was some fortune involved for United, Vidic escaping a red card when many felt that this should have been the outcome. Even Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson shared this sentiment.
Goals from Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney helped turn the game around for United, as they would lift the trophy with a 2-1 win. Dunne spoke on whether there were any regrets from that game.
“Yeah, the regret is what you hoped, we’d won. It was disappointing. You’re playing against a really tough Man United side, so it’s not like you’re walking into the game thinking we’re definitely going to win this, but we certainly competed.
“We were unfortunate with the referee’s decision at the start of the game, but we lost the game and that’s it. Defeats at the time are tough to take, but that’s the way it is.”
A brilliant recent run for his former sides
Richard Dunne: "The Man City success was coming"
ISTANBUL, TURKEY - MAY 20: John McGinn of Aston Villa lifts the UEFA Europa League trophy with team mates during the UEFA Europa League Final 2026 match between SC Freiburg and Aston Villa FC at Besiktas Park on May 20, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
In recent times, two of Dunne’s former sides have enjoyed a successful period in their history.
Man City have won trophies galore since the aforementioned takeover from Sheikh Mansour in 2008. It was when Pep Guardiola arrived in 2016 that we saw City’s dominance develop. During the Spaniard’s 10 years at the club, that came to an end in May, City won six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five League Cups and the 2023 UEFA Champions League final. This is as well as an appearance in the 2021 final. Their 2022/23 saw them achieve a historic treble, matching the achievements of their neighbours in 1998/99.
Their most recent season saw the club record an FA and League Cup double, as well as coming agonisingly close to another league title. Dunne spoke on City’s success in recent years.
“The Man City success was coming, something that was noticeably to come, it was building up to where they are now. When they won the Champions League, it was just amazing because it‘s not about the money that was spent, it was about the fans who have been there such a long time. To see them get to a situation where instead of scrapping against relegation, they’re going out and winning Champions Leagues. To see the emotions on their faces was a fantastic thing.”
Meanwhile, Aston Villa have seen their success elevated since the arrival of Unai Emery in 2022. Whilst City were hiring Pep in the summer of 2016, Villa were preparing for life in the second division of English football for the first time since 1987 after a shock relegation.
They returned to the Premier League in 2019 and have not looked back since they hired the Spaniard. They were briefly title contenders in 2025/26 and capped off their successful season, which saw Champions League qualification, with a win in the final of the UEFA Europa League, beating SC Freiburg in Istanbul. Dunne spoke extremely highly of the job done by Emery.
“What Villa have done over the past couple of seasons is equally impressive. They’ve done it without the financial clout that City have, but with a manager that has structured them in such an unbelievable way, brought them to a level where they are probably just a couple of players from challenging for a Premier League because they’re that good.
“With the change of management at Liverpool and Man City, there might be a space this year for a team to really put a challenge to Arsenal. If Villa have the strength in depth, they could possibly be the team to do it. Given where they were when he took over is an incredible turnaround. Villa are a traditional big club and their fanbase demand success and now they’re starting to see it all.”