Dunne completes Aston Villa move

September 02, 2009

Richard Dunne

RICHARD Dunne has completed his move to Aston Villa ending a nine-year association with Manchester City.

The deal was held up because the Premier League needed to approve it but everything has been agreed now and his £6m move has gone through.

Dunne had his path to the City first team blocked by the arrival of Kolo Toure and Joleon Lescott at Eastlands this summer.

Villa manager Martin O’Neill has been desperate to bolster his back four after skipper Martin Laursen retired and Zat Knight was sold to Bolton.

He said: “Richard Dunne is the kind of person we are looking for.”

City boss Mark Hughes paid tribute to Dunne and told www.mcfc.co.uk: “Richard has been outstanding for Manchester City. He is the ultimate professional and has served the club magnificently. Winning the player of the year award for four consecutive years tells you everything about him. We all wish him well for his future career at Aston Villa.

“It would have been difficult for Dunney to stay given his standing at the club and I understand that. I wasn’t going to stand in his way. I could have tried to stop him going and said I wanted him as a squad player but out of respect for what he has done for City I wasn’t going to do that."

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neil hunt (01/09/2009 at 23:04)

This is silly hughes this man has been a giant for us , a city legend.
I think he proberley in the top 5 best defenders in the premership , if he does goes then he will be missed.How many players can turn round and say they have been player of the season 3 times ,captain and 9 years service and still on top of his game. Martin oneil is no fool.
A step to far hughes

tonybookoverlapping, oxford (02/09/2009 at 09:01)

thanks and good luck to dunney - a good and honest servant of MCFC. but we go onward and upward. and those who think we should have kept him, watch adebayor, robbie and tevez turn him inside out when we next play villa - and remember also, that now they get to practice against lescott and toure in training, instead of against him and TBH...

John Reid (02/09/2009 at 09:06)

Good luck mate! Shame you wernt around to win something us after all your hard work and loyalty.

Elano's PR Manager, Gorton (02/09/2009 at 09:07)

Glad the Bentley deal fell through and hopefully it won't happen in January. Where would Hughes play Bentley anyway? Drop Wright-Philips? Yes, I can see the Welsh wally doing that!

PO (02/09/2009 at 09:18)

A shame to see him go. Good luck at Villa Dunney - most of us true blues won't forget what you did for our club!

karen tyler (02/09/2009 at 09:23)

Maybe it took time for him to get through the Medical, hope they didnt ask him to control and pass a ball!
Come on City and Petrov your chances will come, remember you are at a bigger club than Spurs!

bluecat (02/09/2009 at 09:43)

After working hard to overcome his early problems with pies and booze he's been a loyal servant to our club through thick and thin. He didn't get voted as fans player of the season four times in a row without a lot of heart and determination in making the most of the abilities he has.

His best years were alongside Distin, whose athleticism helped counterbalance his own lack of it. He's a committed, strong centre half, a very good tackler and good in the air. Ultimately it's a lack of mobility that enables some forwards to turn him to easily and last season highlighted how a lack of speed in decision making can get him into trouble.

As a captain he probably did an awful lot behind the scenes in my view that held the squad together through turbulent times. Nobody from the club has ever seemed to have a bad word to say about the man. He brought players together rather than being a commanding or inspirational force.

Good luck to him at Villa. I've a lot of respect for him and he's still a very good Premiership defender who just doesn't quite have the agility of body and speed of thought to take us to the very top level any more. He doesn't deserve to be a back up player so it's a good move all round. I hope he gets a testimonial game even though he's a year shy of the ten you normally need. I think the club owes him that.

paul green (02/09/2009 at 09:55)

Good luck Richard,youve been a great servant to the club,im sure you will get a great reception on your return to Eastlands.

Mrs Robinho, Waiting in ISTANBUL (02/09/2009 at 09:57)

Thanks for everything Dunnie xxx Good Luck with the Villa xx Onwards and upwards sorry you cant be part of if mate xx

UrbanGenieThing (02/09/2009 at 09:59)

bluecat,
2/09/2009 at 09:43

Agree totally with your comments...the fella epitomised our club throughout those 9 years. Since his early wobble it seems he's been nothing but a model professional and no doubt been a huge influence in the dressing room. Love to have seen him stay and fight for his place but in reality he deserves to play and can certainly do a job for Villa week in week out...the club need to officially recognise his contribution in some way...

Spike,, Whitefield (02/09/2009 at 10:05)

Agree with you on that Bluecat..............

At least he picked up a "trophy" for us in Spain.............

Good luck Richard..........Thank you very much for all that you did for us..........Youse a leg....end...

£700m and rising......, Sale (02/09/2009 at 10:09)

I really hope that this deal falls through! Dunney is a City legend!

Sam Platt (02/09/2009 at 10:09)

A mistake to let him go to one of City’s real competitors for a top 6 spot.
It’s not as though you need the money!
Why assist an opponent if you can avoid it?
SAF would never do that.
Hughes has a lot to learn, as will become even more obvious on 20th September!

John D , Chester (02/09/2009 at 10:15)

You are a legend Richard and I for one will always clap you on your return. People have short memories,as this man kept us in the premiership single handed over a couple of seasons. Good luck with Villa...

glad to be blue, halifax (02/09/2009 at 10:16)

i am not sure this move will still happen,and i will be happy if it does not.kolo will be off to the african cup of nations in jan,and if we had a injury to lescott,that leaves us with neddy and vinny,good players yes,but are they ok for a long run of games.on another point has anyone read the mirror this morning,that oliver holt is singing our praises,he normally gives us a right slating,in fact there are one or two more journos,radio presenters etc,starting to change thier minds,they all will eventually

Peter Doherty. As good as it gets. (Debt free) , Levenshulme (02/09/2009 at 10:21)

the club need to officially recognise his contribution in some way...
UrbanGenieThing
2/09/2009 at 09:59

How about a statue of him wanging the ball into his own net whilst counting his 'loyalty' bonus?

Infijar Ken, Angola (02/09/2009 at 10:22)

John Reid
2/09/2009 at 09:06

Hey, he got to lift the Joan Gamper Trophy. How many other Captains of visiting teams can say that, In front of over 93,000 ardent Barça fans (before somebody jumps in, the other 1,000 or so were City fans)? How many Captains of visiting English clubs can say that? None!

Phil , Sacramento, CA U.S.A. (02/09/2009 at 10:25)

bluecat: I've not been a fan of Dunne's the last two seasons, but your synopsis of his career at MCFC is wonderfully conceived and articulated. Aston Villa is a great situation for RD, and maybe this is the change of scenery he has needed to recharge his career. You're certainly spot on with the bit about the necessity of pairing him with a quick, athletic partner. That has allowed him to accentuate the strengths of his game, which you expertly listed.

The Wright-Phillips Show, A Football Ground Near You (02/09/2009 at 10:25)

Elano's PR Manager, Gorton
2/09/2009 at 09:07

Is that the same "welsh wally" thats just guided us through 5 wins and 5 clean sheets?

Singing the blues, Manchester (02/09/2009 at 10:32)

I'd heard that there was a hiccup over the contract - Dunney wanted 5 owns goals a season, and Villa wanted 3....hope it gets sorted soon....

cloud 9, stockport (02/09/2009 at 10:42)

Loved Dunney to bits at City but this deal if you can believe what is writen in the papers shows that modern footballers are completley detached from reality !
when I left my last employer after 12 years i recieved ZERO ! when last year I was offererd redundancy with my current employer of 6 years I was offered 1 weeks wage for every year I had been there !! WHOOPEE !!
The modern footballer wants his contract paying in full even though he is walking into another highly payed job, and though I do agree that Dunney deserves a Testamonial so we can show him our appreciation I dont believe he is entiteled to the cash generated (take a leaf from Quinny,s book) no other profesion gives testamonials after 10 years ! you would be lucky to get a thankyou !
I am not just singling Dunney out here because he has undoubtabley been a hero and savior for city over the years but has been extremley well payed over that time and to be demanding a huge pay off seems to have become the norm, let me guess his agent gets a nice 25% cut !!!!!!!!!!

Nefyn blue, Stockport (02/09/2009 at 11:24)

If the press are to be believed, and Dunney is holding out for a lump sum in lieu of a testimonial then it is poor fare from a City legend.

Testimonial years are a throwback to the Seventies and early Eighties when the average footballer needed the cash to invest for the future when their playing days ended. They bought Pubs or started up small businesses, and it was a chance for the fans to say a thankyou for the players loyal service.

To hear that multi millionaire footballers are in need of testimonials saddens me and further isolates the players from their fans.

ted knott, droylsden (02/09/2009 at 11:39)

And what about the contribution Neil Young made at City? we didn't see 'nelly' holding out for more money in a so called loyalty payment --Richard Dunne is just another greedy modern day footballer and all this trash about him being this that and the other 'naffs' me off.Testimonials are a thing of the past RD was on £50,000 a week surely thats enough for him isn't it? in stark contrast Neil Young was on much more less and in comparrison to living standards of the 60s and very early 70s he was on a pittance compared to Richard Dunne's wages so if fans are shouting for a Dunnie testimonial lets hear the same demands for a Nelly Young testimonial...greed greed greed nowadays I'm afraid!

madblue, oldham (02/09/2009 at 12:01)

thanks dunny for the years of service hope ya get a great reception when ya come back to our place shame though would of liked him to stay till end of season but good luck lets hope ya score a own goal against us lol o.j. i hope he does get a testimonial for 9yrs sevice

madblue, oldham (02/09/2009 at 12:02)

dunney is entitled to a pay off has he never asked for a transfer so by right city must pay his contract up

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