IT is 11 years since Richard Dunne last kicked a ball outside the Premier League. But after spending the last 15 months on an operating table, the 33-year-old couldn't care less what level he's at.
Ruled out for three months with a broken collarbone in March 2012, the Irishman only just returned in time for the European Championships, his country's first appearance at a major tournament for a decade.
“An amazing honour,” said the 34-year-old, a stalwart for Aston Villa and Manchester City before joining the Hoops this summer.
“After the World Cup in 2002, I thought I might never get another chance. It was heartbreaking to go out, especially knowing we didn't play our best. But it was an experience I'll always cherish.”
Sadly, he wouldn't have long to savour it. A few weeks later, a seemingly innocuous groin injury put paid to him for the whole 2012-13 season.
As a result, the centre-back was released by Aston Villa when his contract expired and has now joined a host of other Premier League outcasts at pacesetters QPR.
“In the end, I think the groin problem kept me out for 14 or 15 months,” says Dunne, who started his career with Everton in 1996.
“I had three operations on it but we just couldn't seem to get it right. Nothing seemed to work and you do worry that it is there to stay.
“I'd have an operation, make a comeback and then four or five weeks down the line get injured again in training. It was a nightmare and very, very frustrating, especially with my contract at Villa coming to an end. It wasn't the best time to be injured.
“When you're out that long, it isn't just the injury. Your touch goes, your conditioning goes. At the back of your mind, you do think: ‘Is this it?'
“It takes a while to get back after that but I've been fortunate to find a club willing to ease me back. QPR have given me individual training, time to get up to speed. I never felt that I was being rushed back to playing.”
QPR's softly-softly approach has paid dividends. Since returning to action in late August, Dunne has won another three caps for Ireland, and turned Rangers' defence into the division's meanest unit.
In his first eight games back, QPR didn't concede a single goal, an astonishing 12 hours of defensive perfection. Even now, they have shipped just eight goals in 16 games, the best record in England.
“It's good but it's been tough,” says Dunne, who has struck up a centre-back partnership with fellow veteran Clint Hill. “Because we're one of the favourites people tend to sit back, so most games have been hard work. But we've managed to nick a few results and when you do that it's always enjoyable.
“We've all got the feeling that we still haven't hit top form. Winning 1-0 is hardly inspiring stuff, but the important thing is that you compete.
“It's not really important when you look back at the end of the season. If we're at the top, nobody will care how we played.”
Controversial
One of QPR's surprise stars this season has been bad boy Joey Barton. Sent off in disgrace on the final day of the 2011-12 season, the 31-year-old vowed never to play for the club again and subsequently spent last year on loan at Ligue 1 side Marseille.
But the arrival of Redknapp, a slew of new faces and a solid pre-season have seen the former Newcastle and Man City midfielder taken back to supporters' hearts.
“People call him controversial but Joey's just a normal fella,” says Dunne. “I played with him at Man City so I've known him for a long time. Yes, he's chatty and has his opinions. And every time he has one, people seem to jump on it and disagree with him.
“But on the pitch this season, he's probably been our star performer. He's proven what a good footballer he is and people are talking about that rather than anything he's said or done.
“He's brilliant on the ball, fantastic at set pieces. But it's his desire to win that really impresses the lads. When he's in the team, you know he's never going to stop playing, that every tackle is going to be 100 per cent committed. He drives the team.”
Dunne was a wee nipper the last time he played at this level, helping Man City bounce back from relegation by winning the division in 2001-02. Naturally, he is hoping that history repeats itself.
“It was a real rollercoaster for City back then,” he recalls. “At the time we'd been down to the old Division Two, come back to the Premier League and then gone back down again.
“The expectation was that we'd win the league. We were due to move into the new stadium the year after so we all knew the pressure was on to get back up as soon as we could. But the squad that Kevin Keegan put together was very strong. I think we ended up with something like 100 points.
“And if you look at QPR, it's the same. I think we've got something like eight ex-England internationals. There's a wealth of Premier League experience and with that comes a determination to get back there.
“I wasn't there last year but everybody knows things weren't so great. But there have been a lot of changes and now the atmosphere in the dressing room is really positive. If we play as we can, we should have a chance.”
Finally, a fact. With eight red cards, Dunne is officially the joint-dirtiest player in Premier League history alongside Patrick Vieira and Duncan Ferguson. However, he insists it is merely an occupational hazard.
“That just life as a centre half,” he says. “I've never been sent off for violent conduct or done anything nasty.
“It's just that as a defender, you tend to be the last thing between the striker and the goal. So if you make the challenge and get it wrong, you get a red card.”
