The ‘Terrace Talk’ series from Football League World features the perspectives of our FLW Fan Pundits on a variety of topics, including teams, players, managers, potential signings, and breaking news.
Following his 2003 transfer from Blackburn Rovers, England international midfielder David Dunn has been described as one of Birmingham City’s most underappreciated acquisitions of the modern age.
Just one year after being added to Rovers’ junior setup, Dunn made his big league debut in 1998–1999 and went on to become one of their most valuable players for five seasons, playing in both the premier and second divisions. In 2002, he received his first call-up to the national side.
The attacking midfielder became the club record signing for Blues in 2003 when he signed a four-year contract for an estimated £5.5 million. At the age of 23, he was heralded as a marquee acquisition as Steve Bruce’s team attempted to advance in the Premier League.
But Dunn never lived up to the high standards set by his time at Blackburn and the transfer cost he paid, as he sustained multiple injuries during his meagre 69 appearances for the Blues over the course of four seasons before making his way back to Ewood Park in January 2007.
After failing with Birmingham City, David Dunn
Dunn had a decent debut at St. Andrews, scoring winners in matches against Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur early in the 2003–04 season. However, he is most remembered at the team for his unsuccessful rabona attempt against Aston Villa in the Second City derby, which became a legend in the Premier League.
Due to injuries, he missed a significant portion of each of his three and a half seasons with the team. Birmingham was subsequently relegated to the Championship in 2006, and he returned to Blackburn six months later, signaling that his time in the West Midlands had not gone as planned.
As a result of his tough spell, FLW’s Blues fan pundit, Mike Gibbs, identified Dunn when he was asked who was the most notable player that had arrived at the club in recent years with lots of hype, but ultimately under-delivered.
“I think there have been loads of players that have arrived with a lot of hype and failed to deliver,” Mike told FLW.
“I certainly remember the early Premier League years, when I’d say we invested in proven quality players, however, you could potentially substitute that phrase with ‘journeymen.’
“The likes of Jiří Jarošík, and other players of that ilk that came in, (David) Bentley, but the one that stands out for me is David Dunn.
“He was our record signing at the time, had tons of potential, but he just never really fulfilled it.
“He was constantly injured, and just did not really live up to the hype, I think. He could have been an absolute game-changer, but we didn’t see the best of him in royal blue.”
Dunn stated that his stint with the Blues was unsuccessful.
After his aborted move to Birmingham, Dunn returned to Blackburn and went on to become an important member of the Ewood Park team for the next seven years. As such, he probably felt relieved that his image among Rovers supporters had not been damaged.
There isn’t any animosity between Dunn and Birmingham fans because they plainly feel the same way about his stint with the Blues, which he further confirmed in a 2007 interview when he said he regretted leaving.
“I don’t regret making the trip. Making some wonderful friends there, I had a great time there,” he said to the Lancashire Telegraph.
However, I believe I should have pursued other options; Birmingham wasn’t the ideal club for me.
“Maybe that helped to hide some of the gaps in my career because I had a strong start there.
“I enjoyed playing with them when I did, and I have some great recollections of our time together.
To be completely honest, I had no desire to go.
“I don’t think (Birmingham) did everything they could have done (to keep him fit).
“There was more they could have done. It was my fault as well, and I won’t just blame the staff at Birmingham, but they could have been stronger.”
It is pretty clear that, if things could be played out again, Dunn would not go through with the transfer to save both parties a lot of time, money and effort, which is understandable when his record at the club is laid out bare.
He did not feature over 21 times in the league in any of his seasons at St. Andrews, and scored just eight goals for the club, so can certainly be considered a flop, given the fee paid.
Read more at;https://sportupdates.co.uk
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