Richard Dunne

Richard Patrick Dunne (Irish name: Risteárd Ó Duinn; born 21 September 1979 in Tallaght) is an Irish footballer who currently plays for Aston Villa and the Irish national football team.

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 1996 FA Youth Cup squad along with Tony Hibbert and Leon Osman.

Dunne made his debut under then manager Joe Royle in 1997, at the age of seventeen.

Manchester City

In the autumn of 2000, he was signed by Manchester City for a fee of £3 million. City had signed both Dunne and Laurent Charvet as replacements for right back Richard Edghill 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 and Steve Howey. His first season saw City relegated into the first division and acquire the services of a new manager, Kevin Keegan. 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...
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