Richard Dunne and dusted: Irish legend at ease in retirement

A few weeks back, Damien Duff painted a somewhat poignant image of a player struggling to come to terms with retirement, recalling that one recent morning in Loughlinstown he hired out an astro-turf pitch all for himself. And even as he practised with his right foot, he found himself wondering just what the hell it was he was actually practising for?

Richard Dunne likes to play a bit of a five-a-side too but there’s scant impression that he’s missing professional football in the same way as his former international colleague, which perhaps has a lot to do with the fact that Dunne and his family — wife Helen and children Tayo (10) and Lyla (7) — now make their home in sunny Monte Carlo, where the former Ireland centre-half doesn’t have to contend with constant reminders of his footballing past.

“I got married there about 10 years ago and we’ve been going back over every summer for holidays,” he explained yesterday on a flying visit to Dublin to make his punditry debut on TV3 for last night’s Champions League game between his former club Manchester City and PSG.