Dunne set for talks with Republic boss

QPR defender Richard Dunne plans to speak to Martin O’Neill to find out whether he is in the new Republic of Ireland manager’s plans.

The veteran centre-back was sidelined for the whole of last season and was unavailable for O’Neill’s first two matches in charge because of concerns over his fitness.

Dunne, 34, has been in excellent form since joining Rangers in the summer and would love to be involved if his country reach the European Championships in 2016

But he admits he may not even be playing at club level by then and that the recently appointed boss may choose to look elsewhere.

“I’ll have a chat with the manager and see what his plans are. I don’t know if he wants me or if they want to go with someone else,” said Dunne.

“I had him for a season at Aston Villa. We had a really good year when he was there, I really enjoyed working with him and I’m sure he’s going to do a great job.

“There’s exciting times going forward. We’re second seeds in the draw for the Euros, so there’s a good chance we’ll qualify for another tournament.

“I would love to be involved in another major tournament, but I might not even be playing club football then.

“Playing for your country is a real honour and something that you can’t pass up on. As long as I’m picked I would love to keep on playing.”

Dunne could feature for the Republic against Serbia in March if selected by O’Neill – and if he is deemed fit enough in what QPR expect to be a crucial stage of their promotion bid.

“The thought was that I would miss November but would come back for the Serbia game in March and by that stage of the season we’ll know where we are at QPR,” he explained.

“I want to play every game, but I’m getting to an age where I can’t. It’s important to be playing every week at QPR and that’s what I’ve got to make sure I’m fit for.”

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