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File photo of Dunne in action against Brighton this season. John Walton/PA Wire/Press Association Images
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Six clean sheets later: Redknapp feeling lucky to have Dunne in the Championship

The QPR boss can’t believe a Premier League club didn’t sign up the Dubliner.

AFTER THEIR SIXTH consecutive Championship clean sheet, QPR boss Harry Redknapp had high praise for new signing Richard Dunne.

The Ireland stalwart was allowed to leave Aston Villa after a troubled year with injury and Redknapp expressed disbelief that his attempt to bring the Dubliner down a division was not scuppered by a top-flight side.

“That’s what he is (a commanding centre half),” Redknapp told BBC Sport in the wake of yesterday’s 1 – 0 win away to Yeovil.

“We lost our best player last year when Ryan Nelson went to Canada, we brought Richard Dunne in.

“When we got him, we were chasing him, but I thought ‘a Premier League club’s gotta take him.’ He’s that good. I couldn’t believe no one came in for him. We were lucky we got him.”

Charlie Austin converted a penalty to keep the Rs three-point clear in the race for promotion and though Redknapp was initially asked about the contribution of Rob Green to their run of clean sheets, it was telling that the manager quickly redirected his focus:

“Yeah, we’re lucky we’ve got a good keeper. Richard Dunne came in this summer and made a real difference to the club, to the team – a real proper centre-half, that’s been important for us.”

In classic Redknapp style however, he was sure to highlight areas in his squad which he feels need to be strengthened.

“We’ve got a good group of lads, working hard. We’re short of strikers, short of centre-halves. Only got those two today (Dunne and Clint Hill) and they’re 33, 34 years of age.

“I’ve got no spares. I’ve got a young kid on the bench today who was out on loan at Stevenage, we’ve got no cover at right back.

“We can’t continue with one striker, we can’t keep winning one-nil – eventually we’ve got to score two goals.”

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