Top facts about Richard Dunne, the Honey Monster

Richard Patrick Dunne (born September 21, 1979) is an Irish footballer who played as a defender and is now a television analyst for BT Sport. He appeared in 431 Premier League games, 253 of which were for

.

Richard Dunne’s age

is 42. Here, you can find the most important facts about Richard Dunne, the former Manchester City legend.

Everton was where Dunne started his professional career. He went on to play for Manchester City for over a decade until joining Aston Villa in 2009. He joined Queens Park Rangers in July 2013. From 2000 until 2014, he also represented the Republic of Ireland on an international level.

An important fact about Richard Dunne is that he was a part of Ireland's FIFA World Cup team in 2002 and competed in UEFA Euro 2012. After being released by Queens Park Rangers in November 2015, Dunne declared his retirement from football.

Richard has recently picked up golf as a passion and has been spotted participating in the Carl Corbett charity Classic in Dublin, Ireland every year.

Dunne, together with Patrick Vieira and Duncan Ferguson, has been sent off eight times in the Premier League. He also scored 10 own goals in the Premier League, which is a Premier League record.

Top facts about Richard Dunne:

Dunne was nearly 1.90 meters tall and weighed nearly 90 kilograms before his 16th birthday, so it was not surprising that he was more of a physical defender than a filigree football technician.

An important fact about Richard Dunne is that he was also the first Irish youth player discovered by

as part of their new partnership with Ireland's Home Farm Football Club and gradually introduced to the first team.

As the club's youngest player at the time, he played a competitive game in the FA Cup against Swindon Town at the age of 17 years and 106 days, and after further tests, including a "Merseyside derby" against

, the club's management decided to find a coach Joe Royleto change the training contract to a five-year professional contract.

Richard Dunne early life

Regarding

Richard Dunne’s childhood

, it should be mentioned that he joined Everton as a 15-year-old schoolboy in the 1994–95 season after playing schoolboy football for Home Farm in Dublin. There is no information available regarding

Richard Dunne’s parents

.

Dunne began playing for Everton reserves the following season, and in early 1997, he signed a five-year professional deal with the club. Along with Tony Hibbert and Leon Osman, he was a member of the winning 1998 FA Youth Cup side.

Richard Dunne professional career

Richard Dunne, who was a fan’s favorite at every club he played for, retired from playing in 2015 after he was released by Queens Park Rangers.

Over a 19-year professional career he made over 500 first-team appearances for four clubs and won Manchester City’s Player of the Year for four consecutive years between 2004 and 2008.

Richard Dunne club career

Richard Dunne made his professional debut in 1997, at the age of seventeen, under then-manager Joe Royle. However, he was often deployed out of position at right back under Walter Smith, and he was disciplined by Smith for two separate disciplinary infractions.

Dunne apparently had an offer approved by Wimbledon, but it fell through, and he remained at Everton for another year, mostly filling in at right back.

Manchester City

An important fact about Richard Dunne is that he was recruited by Manchester City for £3.5 million in the fall of 2000, reuniting with his previous boss Joe Royle.

Both Dunne and Laurent Charvet had been recruited by City as replacements for right defender Richard Edghill, who had been out of form.

Dunne's greatest contribution to the squad came in the center of defense. In his debut season with the club, Dunne played with a variety of defensive partners, including a three-man defense alongside Andy Morrison and Steve Howey for a few games.

City was demoted to the First Division in his first season, and a new manager,

, was hired. Manchester City returned to the Premier League almost immediately, winning the First Division title in 2001–02.

In 2003, disciplinary issues led to a club ban, and his time at Manchester City seemed to be finished. Dunne, on the other hand, returned to the first team after a rigorous fitness program and was recalled to the national squad within a few months.

Dunne earned Manchester City's Player of the Year title for the 2004–05 season, as well as the 2005–06, 2006–07, and 2007–08 seasons, making him the first player to win the honor four times.

A notable

fact about Richard Dunne

is that he was named club captain at the age of 26 in the 2006 close season, succeeding Sylvain Distin, who was rumored to be departing City.

Micah Richards, a Manchester City teammate, remarked on January 18, 2007, "Richard has been outstanding since I've joined this club. I play with him every week and consider him to be one of the finest players I've ever encountered. In the England team, I've played with

and Rio Ferdinand, but Richard is right up there with them."

Dunne signed a new four-year deal with Manchester City on July 4, 2008, which would keep him at the club until 2012.

Garry Cook, City's chief executive, said in August 2008, "China and India are desperate for football material to watch, and we'll convince them that City is it. To go past that door, we'll need a superstar. Richard Dunne isn't exactly a household name in Beijing."

Despite three red cards, Dunne continued to play in 2008–09, earning 47 starts across all competitions. On September 21, 2008, he scored a goal in a 6–0 victory against Portsmouth, and his eighth Premier League red card against Wigan Athletic in January 2009 tied a record established by Patrick Vieira and Duncan Ferguson.

Villa Aston

A notable fact about Richard Dunne is that he is expected to depart the City of Manchester Stadium with the arrivals of Kolo Touré and Joleon Lescott. Aston Villa is the most probable destination. On August 27, 2009, Villa announced that they had agreed on a deal with Manchester City for the defender.

Although

completed the paperwork for the move before the transfer window closed, the Premier League stated that the transaction could not be "ratified" until September 2, 2009.

 Later, Villa manager Martin O'Neill announced that Dunne was purchased for £5 million and that he had signed a four-year contract.

Dunne made his debut in a 1–0 victory against Birmingham City at St. Andrew's, thanks to a goal from Gabriel Agbonlahor in the 85th minute. Dunne commended his new colleagues James Collins, Carlos Cuéllar, and Stephen Warnock after the game, saying that their defensive alliance "seems to have worked quite well."

Dunne and Collins played the whole 90 minutes against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on September 26, 2010, in a 2–1 loss.

Dunne scored his first goal for Villa in a 1–1 draw against his previous club Manchester City on October 5, 2009. Manchester City supporters complimented him for showing respect by refraining to celebrate his goal.

Later that month, he scored his second goal in a 2–1 home triumph against Chelsea. He made his debut for Aston Villa in their 2010 Football League Cup Final loss to Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on February 28, 2010. For the 2009–10 season, he was selected to the PFA Team of the Year.

In a 2–0 loss to Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on November 21, 2010, he started and played the whole 90 minutes alongside Ciaran Clark. Dunne was released from the squad on December 11, 2010, and Carlos Cuéllar took his place.

A notable fact about Richard Dunne is that he was recalled to the starting lineup for Villa's away game at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea, which concluded in a 3–3 draw.

He started and played the whole 90 minutes with James Collins in a Premier League game against Manchester United at Old Trafford on February 1, 2011, which ended in a 3–1 loss.

Villa fined Dunne and Collins a total of £200,000 – two weeks' salaries apiece – after a drunken altercation with club employees during a team-bonding activity on March 18, 2011.

Dunne made 35 appearances for Villa in all competitions at the conclusion of the 2010–11 season. New manager Alex McLeish said before of the 2011–12 season that he would be an obvious first choice at the back due of his aerial abilities and excellent ball awareness.

In the 2011 Premier League Asia Trophy in Hong Kong, he started and played the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 victory over Blackburn Rovers. On July 30, 2011, he began the final for Chelsea and played the whole 90 minutes in a 2–0 loss.

Dunne broke his right clavicle in a Premier League match against his previous team Manchester City on February 12, 2012, when he collided with Joe Hart.

The next day, he underwent surgery in Birmingham. Dunne traveled to the Cleveland Browns, who were owned by Randy Lerner, the then-chairman of Aston Villa, at the time, in order to get specialized medical attention for his injuries.

Manager Paul Lambert confirmed in May 2013 that the Irishman will be released on a free transfer.

Queens Park Rangers

A notable

fact about Richard Dunne

is that he joined Queens Park Rangers on a free transfer on July 15, 2013. In the League Cup, he made his debut for QPR against Exeter City. On February 1, 2014, he scored his first goal for Rangers against Burnley.

He made 45 appearances for QPR in his debut season, scoring one goal, and was a member of the club that earned promotion to the Premier League through the 2014 Football League Championship play-off Final against Derby County.

Dunne has the unfortunate distinction of scoring the most own goals in the Premier League, with his tenth coming in a 3–2 loss to Liverpool on October 19, 2014, in a game in which QPR scored two own goals to gift Liverpool the win.

QPR was relegated the next season, finishing bottom with 20 more goals surrendered than any other team. Dunne appeared in a total of 24 games.

Dunne's contract with the club terminated on May 31, 2015, and he was released along with five other players. After leaving QPR, there was a lot of conjecture about his future intentions, with MLS, the Indian Super League, and the League of Ireland all being mentioned.

However, none of these plans came to fruition, and he announced his retirement from football in November 2015. He presently resides in Monte Carlo with his wife and two children.

Richard Dunne international career

Richard Dunne competed in the 1997 UEFA European Under-18 Football Championship finals in Iceland for the Republic of Ireland national under-19 football team. Dunne made his Republic of Ireland debut in a friendly match against Greece on April 26, 2000, losing 1–0.

A notable fact about Richard Dunne is that he scored his first international goal only two months later, in just his third appearance, against Mexico on 4 June, enabling his side come back from a 2–0 deficit to draw 2–2.

During Ireland's victorious 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, he was picked by Mick McCarthy to play against the likes of the Netherlands and Portugal, and he also scored his first competitive international goal in a 2–0 victory against Estonia.

Dunne was a member of the Irish squad that competed in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, however Mick McCarthy preferred the center-back partnership of Gary Breen and Steve Staunton (the latter of whom became team captain after

's departure), and therefore Dunne did not even make an appearance as a replacement.

Dunne's prospects with Ireland were severely hampered during their failed bid to qualify for UEFA Euro 2004 due to the rise of John O'Shea and Brian Kerr's preference for Kenny Cunningham. Just before the conclusion of the season, he scored his fourth international goal in a friendly against Turkey.

Dunne fell out of favor with Kerr again during Ireland's 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, appearing in just the last three games, including a 1–0 loss to France, which lost Ireland qualification.

Dunne's old teammate, Steve Staunton, took over as Ireland's manager for the duration of the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign.

Early losses to Germany and a humiliating 5–2 loss to Cyprus, in which Dunne scored before handing away a penalty and getting sent off, assured that Ireland would never qualify. Dunne only missed three of the twelve games due to suspension and injury, not because of poor performance.

Giovanni Trapattoni was named Ireland manager for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, cementing Dunne's position as Ireland's first choice center defense.

A notable fact about Richard Dunne is that he appeared in all ten games, scoring goals in both 1–1 ties with Bulgaria and collecting the man of the match award in the away game in Sofia, enabling Ireland finish second and qualify for the play-offs.

He also played the full match against France in both legs, when Ireland was controversially eliminated 2–1 on aggregate after extra time. Dunne was famously seen on the field in Paris, devastated, as

consoled him after assisting William Gallas' winning goal after handling the ball with his hand.

Dunne started and played the whole 90 minutes in Ireland's first Nations Cup game against Wales, which they won 3–0. He started and played the whole 90 minutes in a 2–1 win against Macedonia in the Group B Euro 2012 qualifier at the Aviva Stadium on March 26, 2011.

In a goalless draw against Croatia at the Aviva Stadium on August 10, 2011, he started and played the full 90 minutes alongside Sean St. Ledger.

Dunne started and played the whole 90 minutes in a goalless draw against Russia in Moscow on September 6, 2011.

Dunne put in perhaps his greatest performance of his career, receiving the man of the match award after almost single-handedly stopping a Russian side who controlled midfield and launched wave after wave of assaults.

Dunne's heroics, according to former Ireland defender Paul McGrath, were the finest performance by an Irish central defender he had ever seen, including his own effort against Italy in the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Dunne started and played the whole 90 minutes in Ireland's 2–1 win against Armenia at the Aviva Stadium on October 11, 2011, securing a place in the UEFA Euro 2012 play-offs, scoring his eighth goal in the 60th minute on his 69th appearance for his country.

Dunne highlighted the team's qualification for UEFA Euro 2012 as "the finest experience I've probably had in football" after an extraordinary 5–1 aggregate play-off triumph against Estonia.

At UEFA Euro 2012, he started all three of Ireland's Group C matches, which saw them lose 3–1 to Croatia, 4–0 to

, and 2–0 to Italy.

Dunne returned to the national squad for the first time in a year on June 2, 2013, as a second-half substitute in a 4–0 Irish victory against Georgia. In a 1–2 defeat to Sweden at the Aviva Stadium in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification, Dunne made his comeback to the Irish squad in his first competitive game in 15 months.

Dunne announced his retirement from international football on July 31, 2014.

Richard Dunne media career

Richard Dunne joined BT Sport as a commentator for their coverage of the Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, and UEFA Europa League after retiring in 2015. Dunne's punditry has been lauded for being intelligent and outspoken.

Some more facts about Richard Dunne:

Although Dunne remained in the senior Everton squad and made three Premier League appearances under new coach Howard Kendall, he also won the FA Youth Cup with the youth team in the 1997/98 season, demonstrating his qualities in the center of defense with tough tackles and leadership and moving relatively quickly considering his height.

Dunne suffered a foot injury after returning from the Irish U-18 national team's European Championship victory, but he surprised in the 1998/99 season with consistent performances in the unfamiliar right attacking full-back position, in which he made 31 appearances in the 1999/99 season.

However, his progress was hampered by issues with his 'penalty record,' which resulted in a five-game suspension from the start of the following season.

By mid-October 2000, he had only played four competitive games for the "Toffees" before being sold to his old coach, Joe Royle, at Manchester City, for a fee of three million pounds.

Dunne made his Manchester City debut as a full-back against Southampton FC (2-0) on 23 October 2000, but his qualities soon shone through in central defense, where he earned a regular spot alongside Steve Howey.

Regardless, the season ended on a depressing note with relegation from the Premier League, which also resulted in Royle's dismissal.

For a long time, Dunne couldn't find anything in common with Royle's successor, Kevin Keegan. Although Dunne's return to the Premier League was initially successful, with Dunne attacking with frequent crosses into the opposing penalty area, problems arose at the start of the 2002/03 season.

Dunne was frequently benched, responding with a series of indisciplines and becoming increasingly unfit. This escalated to the point where Keegan hired a specialist, who eventually restored Dunne to the desired condition and ensured he returned positive with 25 Premier League games.

An important

fact about Richard Dunne

is that he had groin problems near the end of the 2003/04 season, but after an operation, he returned in the following 2004/05 season with such good performances alongside center-back partner Sylvain Distin that he ended up winning the club's top honors best player - despite being responsible for two own goals.

Dunne, now more mature and under new sporting stewardship with Stuart Pearce, defended his own supporters' title in subsequent seasons and was now a key player in the side, scoring three goals in his best season for Manchester City in 2005/06.

Another 'reward' came when Pearce promoted Dunne to team captain at the start of the 2006/07 season, and the newly-crowned captain played the entire 90-minute game.

Other highlights from the 2007/08 season included two victories over local rivals

, in which Dunne was described as "solid as a rock," particularly in the 2-1 away win, and a (rare) goal on his 29th birthday in a 6-0 win over Portsmouth FC.

He also received three red cards in his final full season with the Citizens, one of which resulted in a five-game suspension.

His most recent appearance was on August 22, 2009, against Wolverhampton Wanderers, which resulted in a 1-0 victory.

The extensive upheaval that Manchester City had initiated following the change of ownership was decisive for the abrupt end, and Dunne suddenly played - despite being four times player of the year and the club's top performer with over 300 games - after the expensive purchases of defenders Kolo Touré and Joleon Lescottno no longer figure in Coach Mark Hughes' plans.

Shortly after, Martin O'Neill of Aston Villa announced the transfer of Richard Dunne for a fee of five million pounds and a four-year contract.

Along with new defensive colleagues James Collins, Carlos Cuéllar, and Stephen Warnock, he kept his debut clean against Birmingham City (1-0) and scored his first goal for the "Villans" on October 5, 2009, of all places, against ex-club Manchester City.

Overall, his first season in new surroundings was a great success, and he was named to the PFA Team of the Year by his fellow Premier League players").

He also reached a senior cup final for the first time in his professional career, but lost 1-2 to Manchester United in the league cup final.

He joined Queens Park Rangers in 2013 and retired in 2015. With ten goals into his own net, he holds the Premier League's own-goal record.

Dunne was extremely active with the Irish national teams from a young age, and in addition to making his senior national team debut, he surprisingly won the European Championship with the U-18 team in Cyprus.

An important fact about Richard Dunne is that he was also scheduled to compete in the Junior World Championships in Nigeria in 1999, but had to withdraw due to thigh problems.

This was followed by four appearances for the U-21 side before making his senior debut against Greece on April 26, 2000. On June 4, 2000, he scored his first goal for Ireland against Mexico in his third international match (2-2).

During the successful qualification for the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, coach Mick McCarthy finally allowed him to play in crucial games against the Netherlands and Portugal.

However, with Steve Staunton and Gary Breen eventually getting the nod in central defense, Dunne was left out of the tournament despite being on the squad.

Even after the World Cup, Dunne's prospects remained dim, with new coach Brian Kerr favoring the young

and Kenny Cunningham in the Euro 2004 qualifiers in Portugal, which Dunne ultimately missed.

Only in the last three competitive games before the 2006 World Cup in Germany was Dunne present on a regular basis, including an almost decisive 0-1 home defeat to France.

Only the appointment of ex-teammate Steve Staunton as coach resulted in the long-desired regular place in the Euro 2008 qualifiers in Switzerland and Austria.

There, Dunne missed only three of twelve games; however, in terms of sport, things continued to be disappointing, as the team fell behind early on after early defeats against Germany, and especially after the 2:5 defeat against Cyprus, which included a red card for Dunne.

Only under Staunton's successor, Giovanni Trapattoni, did a final round for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa appear to be within reach once more. Dunne, Ireland's best defender, played all ten qualifying games, finished second, and then cheerfully lost the play-offs to France.

They then qualified for the 2012 European Championships in Poland and Ukraine, where Ireland's Richard Dunne started all three group games. Ireland, on the other hand, lost all three group games and was eliminated outright.

Richard Dunne social media

Regarding

Richard Dunne social media

, it should be mentioned that he does not have any pages on any social media platforms.

Richard Dunne body measurements

Speaking about

Richard Dunne body measurements

, it should be mentioned that the former player is 188cm and 85kg.

Richard Dunne net worth and salary

Richard Dunne's net worth

is estimated to be around $9 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.

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