Richard Dunne shows his class in Aston Villa v Manchester City game

By: Declan O'Kelly | Published Wednesday, January 13, 2010, 6:37 PM | Updated Friday, September 9, 2011, 9:24 PM

10/05/2009 11:34 PM

Richard Dunne showed his class during the Aston Villa V Manchester City Premier League game at Villa Park on Monday night.

Dunne played for Manchester City for nine years before moving to Aston Villa this summer after City manager Mark Hughes deemed him surplus to requirements.

The Irish international had a huge game for his new club in their 1-1 tie, and even scored his team’s goal (a cracker of a header by the way, that gave his Irish colleague Shay Given no chance).

And it was his reaction to putting one over his last employers that set the man apart.

Rather than tearing down the field to celebrate with his new supporters, or rubbing it the face of his old colleagues, Dunne chose not to celebrate at all and jogged back to his own half.

It used to be the norm not to celebrate scoring against an old team, but that unfortunately is no longer the case.

On his way back to his regular territory at the defensive end of the field, the City fans in the ground applauded him for his dignified actions.

Afterwards, Dunne told reporters about his non-celebration.

“I don't have a celebration - when I score it's usually a surprise," he told the Manchester Evening News.

“I really enjoyed my time at City and I really respect the club and the fans and not celebrating seemed the right thing to do. “

Villa manager Martin O’Neill was full of praise for his new defender’s performance, and no doubt there are many Sky Blue fans that wish their captain and four-time player of the season was still on the books.

On Monday night Dunne showed his true colors and his class shone through. He was, in every sense, the bigger man in all of it.