And the man who signed him from Everton for the Blues for £3m eight years ago reckons it is an honour the big Irishman fully deserves.

Former boss Joe Royle puts Dunne alongside Earl Barrett and Denis Irwin as the best value-for-money signing he has ever made during his managerial career.

Dunne's new four-year contract, thrashed out and signed before the squad headed for its German training camp, will mean Dunne could soon burst his way on to the Blues' top ten appearances list.

That has remained unchanged for 28-years since Willie Donachie, ironically Dunne's first coach at Maine Road, slipped into the number ten slot with 421 starts in a City shirt.

Dunne currently has 296 league and cup starts under his belt and should comfortably catch Scotland internationalDonachie if he stays fit and in form for the next four seasons.

"Richard really is a proper chap and a fine player," said Royle. "I gave him his debut at two different Premier League clubs and all the subsequent managers at City and with the Republic of Ireland have been quick to make him a cornerstone of the team.

"The fans have also voted him their player of the season for the last four campaigns and we can't all be wrong!

"Very few players can run Dunney and the part of his game that has improved the most over the seasons is his heading. He is now a commanding central defender and a seasoned international.

"There was a period when I left City when some people at the club had him on their hit list. I bet they're now glad they didn't get their way.

"The stories about his drinking and ill-discipline were always exaggerated and he was always going to mature into a top-notch central defender.

"I am glad he is staying at City because it is a great club and a great club for Dunney in particular. It is rare these days that players stay so long at one club but everything is right for Richard at City and he is a good captain for the club.

"It is significant that Mark Hughes was so keen to keep Dunney. He knows that the big fella and Micah Richards form a formidable partnership at the heart of the defence. There are not too many better combinations around than those two and plenty of clubs would like the pair of them."

Dunne, who was once saved from the sack by former manager Kevin Keegan, was linked to a string of clubs in the summer as they sniffed a bargain and his old contract entered its final 12 months. Spurs, Portsmouth, Newcastle and Sunderland were all keen with two of them lodging bids of around £5m.

But one of Hughes' first acts after succeeding Sven-Goran Eriksson was to initiate new talks with Dunne and his agent and the paperwork went through last week. The new boss described Dunne as a `really important' player for the Blues and Dunne was cleary pleased the deal had been concluded.

"My first priority was to stay at City because I have enjoyed it so much and feel settled here," said the player. "I am pleased it has all been signed and sealed and I can relax a bit more and concentrate on the season ahead.

"Breaking into the top ten in appearances for the club is not something I have thought about but I just want to stay fit, play as many games as I possibly can and hopefully help the club win something."

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