Painful Euros memories key to Dunne staying on

Richard Dunne’s determination to end his international career on a much more positive note than Euro 2012 is understood to have been a key reason behind the defender’s decision to keep playing for Ireland.

The 32-year-old was one of the players most visibly affected by the team’s whitewash in Poland during the summer, with Dunne even getting emotional when speaking to the media before and after the final match against Italy.

On the eve of that final game, a near-tearful Dunne stated: “It’s your dream to go and play in the championships and play well and be brilliant and it’s just not happened, so it’s heartbreaking.”