Jimmy Dunne (footballer, born 1997)
Irish professional footballer
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James Gerard Dunne (born 19 October 1997) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a defender for EFL Championship club Queens Park Rangers and the Republic of Ireland national team.
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Dunne with the Republic of Ireland in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Gerard Dunne[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 19 October 1997[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Dundalk, Ireland | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[3] | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Queens Park Rangers | ||
| Number | 3 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2003–2007 | Rock Celtic | ||
| 2007–2008 | Manchester United | ||
| 2008–2010 | St. Kevin's Boys | ||
| 2010–2013 | Rock Celtic | ||
| 2013–2016 | Manchester United | ||
| 2016–2017 | Burnley | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2021 | Burnley | 3 | (1) |
| 2017–2018 | → Barrow (loan) | 21 | (2) |
| 2018 | → Accrington Stanley (loan) | 20 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | → Heart of Midlothian (loan) | 12 | (2) |
| 2019 | → Sunderland (loan) | 12 | (1) |
| 2019–2020 | → Fleetwood Town (loan) | 9 | (1) |
| 2021– | Queens Park Rangers | 191 | (14) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2018 | Republic of Ireland U21 | 2 | (0) |
| 2025– | Republic of Ireland | 3 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 15:57, 6 April 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 22:04, 26 March 2026 (UTC) | |||
Dunne played locally in Ireland before joining the youth set-up at Manchester United in 2007. After transferring to Burnley in 2016, he spent time on loan at Barrow (where he made his senior debut in August 2017) and Accrington Stanley (where he made his Football League debut in January 2018).
Club career
Born in Dundalk,[4][5][6][7] Dunne began his career with Rock Celtic before joining the Manchester United Academy in Belfast at the age of 10.[4] He later joined St Kevin's Boys for two years, returning to Rock Celtic before signing for Manchester United in 2013.[8][9]
Burnley
In July 2016, Dunne signed a two-year contract (with a further year's option in the club's favour) with Burnley.[4] In July 2017, he moved to National League side Barrow on a six-month loan.[5] He made his senior debut on 5 August 2017.[3]
In early January 2018, the club confirmed Dunne's loan would not be extended and he would return to parent club Burnley.[10] Later that month he joined EFL League Two club Accrington Stanley on loan for the remainder of the season.[11] He made his Football League debut on 6 January 2018.[12]
On 21 August 2018, Dunne joined Scottish Premiership side Heart of Midlothian (Hearts) on a six-month loan deal.[13] His loan ended in January 2019.[14] A few days later he moved on loan to Sunderland.[15] In September 2019 he moved on loan to Fleetwood Town.[16]
On 17 September 2020, Dunne made his senior debut for Burnley in the second round of the EFL Cup, in a 1–1 draw against Sheffield United which Burnley eventually won on penalties.[17] He scored on his Premier League debut on 20 September 2020, in a 4–2 defeat away at Leicester City.[18]
Queens Park Rangers
_(Jimmy_Dunne).jpg)
On 13 July 2021, Dunne joined Queens Park Rangers for an undisclosed fee, agreeing a three-year deal.[19]
Ahead of the 2023–24 season, he dislocated his shoulder in a pre-season friendly in August.[20] He was close to a return at the end of the month,[21] but was not fit enough until the end of September.[22] Following a poor start to the season, the club's fortunes improved under new manager Martí Cifuentes, who converted Dunne into a right-back.[23] On 29 March 2024, Dunne scored a 92nd minute winner from twenty-five yards to secure Rangers a 2–1 victory over fellow relegation-threatened side Birmingham City,[24] a strike later voted as the club's Goal of the Season.[25] At the end of season awards, he was also voted Junior Hoops' Player of the Year and PFA Men's Community Champion of the Year.[25]
In the 2024–25 season, he continued to impress in the right-back position, being voted as the club's Player of the Season, also winning the Players' Player of the Year and retaining the Junior Hoops' Player of the Year.[26] In June 2025 Dunne signed a new contract with the club,[27] and in July 2025 was named club captain ahead of the 2025–26 season.[28]
International career
In March 2018, Dunne received a call-up to the Republic of Ireland under-21 side for the first time, making his debut on 22 March 2018 in a 3–1 friendly win over Iceland, replacing Corey Whelan as a substitute late in the game.[29]
On 6 November 2018, Dunne was named in the provisional senior Republic of Ireland squad for the first time for the friendly match against Northern Ireland on 15 November and the UEFA Nations League match against Denmark on 19 November 2018.[30] He was omitted from the final squad, and was linked with a call-up to the Northern Ireland team, for whom he qualifies through the grandparent rule.[31]
He was called-up again by the Republic of Ireland in March 2019 but was not capped.[32] On 23 March 2025, he made his long-awaited senior debut in a 2–1 win against Bulgaria in the 2nd leg of the UEFA Nations League relegation playoff.[33]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 6 April 2026
| Club | Season | League | National Cup[a] | League Cup[b] | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Burnley | 2017–18[12] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| 2018–19[34] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2019–20[35] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21[36] | Premier League | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 7 | 1 | ||
| Total | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | ||
| Barrow (loan) | 2017–18[3] | National League | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 1[c] | 0 | 23 | 2 | |
| Accrington Stanley (loan) | 2017–18[12] | League Two | 20 | 0 | — | — | — | 20 | 0 | |||
| Heart of Midlothian (loan) | 2018–19[34] | Scottish Premiership | 12 | 2 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 14 | 2 | ||
| Sunderland (loan) | 2018–19[34] | League One | 12 | 1 | — | — | 2[d] | 0 | 14 | 1 | ||
| Fleetwood Town (loan) | 2019–20[35] | League One | 9 | 1 | — | — | 2[d] | 0 | 11 | 1 | ||
| Queens Park Rangers | 2021–22[37] | Championship | 38 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 43 | 3 | |
| 2022–23[38] | Championship | 40 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 42 | 2 | ||
| 2023–24[39] | Championship | 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 30 | 1 | ||
| 2024–25[40] | Championship | 45 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 48 | 5 | ||
| 2025–26[41] | Championship | 39 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 40 | 3 | ||
| Total | 191 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 203 | 14 | ||
| Career total | 267 | 21 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 293 | 21 | ||
- Includes EFL Cup and Scottish League Cup
- Appearance in EFL Trophy
International
- As of match played 26 March 2026
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republic of Ireland | 2025 | 2 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 3 | 0 | |
Honours
Sunderland
- EFL Trophy runner-up: 2018–19[42]
Individual
- Queens Park Rangers Player of the Year: 2024–25[26]
- Queens Park Rangers Goal of the Season: 2023–24[25]