PLAYER PROFILE

David Dunn

Position: Midfield

Height: 5'10

Weight: 12st 0lbs

Date of Birth: 1979-12-27 Blackburn, England

David Dunn

Birmingham City broke their transfer record when they paid Blackburn Rovers £5.5 million for David Dunn. After spending six years with the club Dunn swaps Blackburn for Birmingham.

Another product of the Blackburn Rovers youth system, Dunn is an impressive young midfielder who has risen through the ranks to achieve a first team place and England honours as far as the under-21 squad.

A lifelong Rovers fan, his long-standing ambition was realised when Dunn made his first team debut against Everton in the 1998/99 season. Limited first team opportunities frustrated him from then on and he went as far as handing in a transfer request. Nevertheless, the club convinced him it was in his best interests to stay and fight for a regular place in the Blackburn midfield.

His first season in the Premiership was a big chance for him to stake his claim, and he certainly did that. With nine goals in 41 games, he was one of Rovers' stars of the season, and was made captain of the England Under 21s by David Platt. Dunn was also on stand-by for a call-up to the full England squad for the 2002 World Cup.

However his promising and exciting career was thrown into to turmoil in the 2002/03 season when he was publicly criticised by his manager for his irresponsible off-field lifestyle. Dunn suffered as a result losing his starting role in the side, but the talented midfielder showed great character to earn his manger's approval once more and quickly re-gained his place.

Unfortunately the damage was already been done with the Blackburn-born-lad signalling his desire to leave the club in the summer of 2003. Souness inevitably accepted the player's decision, as the tough Scot holds total commitment in high regard.

Birmingham beat off a late hijacking from Middlesbrough, to sign the wantaway star. Dunn said of his switch: "Obviously it's very hard to leave a club that you've supported all your life. But the reason that I've come to Birmingham is that I think Steve Bruce is one of the best young managers in the country and that Birmingham as a club is a sleeping giant."

However, injuries hampered Dunn in his time at St. Andrews. A hamstring injury put paid to his 2003/04 campaign in February 2004 while his 2004/05 campaign was similarly cut short, this time by a back injury which meant he only made 12 appearances, scoring twice.

Dunn returned in the 2005/06 season, but Birmingham were relegated, meaning that in the 2006/07 campaign he returned to the top flight with Blackburn, the team at which he began his career.