Richard Dunne calls on O’Neill to snap up Irish trio
Friday 23rd July 2010, 12:31PM BST.
Ireland international Richard Dunne would love to set up an Irish enclave at Villa Park in the wake of James Milner’s looming departure.
The defender is not letting on precisely how much he knows about manager Martin O’Neill’s much-discussed interest in international team-mates Stephen Ireland, Aiden McGeady and Robbie Keane.
All three are said to be in O’Neill’s calculations if and when a deal for Milner is completed to give him the funds to act. But Dunne is confident the trio represent terrific choices.
“Stephen Ireland is brilliant so, if he became available then absolutely I’d recommend him. But the manager does his own thing,” said Dunne.
“Regardless of who comes or goes, he still ends up with a team that challenges for a top four or top five.”
“I would recommend the whole Irish team if he asked but he does his own thing and that’s the way he is. He picks a squad, we go into the dressing room and everyone gets along. I think that’s his basis of the team.”
Dunne is equally impressed at the prospect of McGeady and Keane also ending up in claret and blue next month.
He added: “It would be great but the two of them are at different clubs and as far as I know they’re happy there. Whether the manager is interested or not is different, but me personally I’d take the two of them.”
Behind the scenes Villa’s players have long accepted the Milner transfer story was only going to end one way and Dunne is already looking beyond his team mate’s exit.
“The club will miss James but if he has to move on then the manager will build again,” he says.
“James will know if he wants to go to a club that’s challenging for the Premier League, he’ll be part of a squad. At Aston Villa he’ll play every week, at Man City maybe not.
“But as a club it’s brilliant. It’s a great club Manchester City. He’ll enjoy himself there but it’s going to be difficult for anyone to get in the team.”
UK Sport
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