Former Ireland defender Richard Dunne, a veteran of two major tournaments, has explained to the Stacey West why Lincoln City man Jack Moylan is important for Ireland.
Moylan got his international career off to an explosive start with a hat trick against Grenada, only to be sent off in his next appearance, a 1-0 defeat against Qatar. He was on top in that game also, and his red card seemed a little harsh, but it signed off his 2025/26 in notable fashion.
This week, we got to speak to former Manchester City and Aston Villa defender Dunne. He won 80 caps for the Republic of Ireland and played at the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2012. He was recently working for Manchester City and has kept a keen eye on the international stage since retiring in 2015.
“He’s done well,” he said, when asked about Moylan’s international prospects. “He scored the goal to put Lincoln up at the end of the season, so he’s had a good season.
“It’s just always about matching the next level. He’s going to step up a level at the Championship. It’s going to be a little bit more difficult, probably the first couple of weeks, when you try to get to grips with it.
“He’s shown, certainly with his international hat-trick, that he can adapt really quickly.”
He won’t be the only one needing to adapt, given the Imps stepping into the second tier for the first time since the early sixties, but he does appear to be able. He didn’t look out of place against Qatar, who drew with last 16 outfit Switzerland in the group stages, and his emergence, as well as his acclimatisation to the Championship, is important in Dunne’s eyes.
“It’s important for the national side,” added Dunne.
“We then have another player who’s playing really well in the Championship, and he has all the attributes to do it. It’s just about hoping his team can get off to a good start.
“Hopefully, the confidence is flowing, and you can go on and have a good season and become an important member of the Irish squad.”
Dunne was a commanding Irish centre-back who played more than 500 league games across spells with Everton, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Queens Park Rangers. He is best remembered for his time at Manchester City, where he made 296 league appearances, captained the club and won their Player of the Year award four seasons running.
After later spells with Aston Villa and QPR, including promotion with Rangers through the 2014 Championship play-off final, he retired in 2015 and has since worked as a pundit and in Manchester City’s academy. He was speaking to us courtesy of William Hill, offering good odds on Harry Kane World Cup 2026 goals.
Jack Moylan came through Bohemians’ academy, had a productive loan spell at Wexford, and then established himself at Shelbourne, where he finished the 2023 season as joint-top league scorer and earned a place in the PFAI Team of the Year.
He joined us in January 2024, scored his first goals in a brace against Barnsley, and became a key figure in our 2025/26 promotion season, earning Team of the Season recognition and signing a contract extension until 2030.
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