I was the player who scored the most own goals in Premier League history but still became a hero for my nation

There are some records in football that nobody wants to hold.

For instance, Mark Schwarzer holds the record for most defeats in Premier League history, losing 200 of his 514 appearances in England’s top-flight.

Furthermore, Gareth Barry is the player with the most yellow cards – receiving a booking 129 times across his 653 Premier League appearances.

However, there is another player who actually holds both the record for most Premier League own goals – as well as being tied alongside Patrick Vieira for most red cards (8) – who eventually became a “hero” for his country in Richard Dunne.

How Richard Dunne became a hero for the Republic of Ireland

The 45-year-old holds the very unwanted record of scoring the most own goals in Premier League history, firing ten efforts beyond his goalkeeper across 431 appearances in the Premier League.

While that may have consigned many to the gutters of football history, Dunne still managed to retire from Republic of Ireland duty in 2014 with hero status to his name – as UEFA put it when announcing his retirement on their official website.

The man born in Tallaght was also hailed by Paul McGrath for his iconic performance in a crucial UEFA EURO 2012 qualifier against Russia in 2011, in which he helped the Republic of Ireland secure a valuable 0-0 draw which earned qualification for the tournament.

McGrath even said it was “the best (display) I have seen from any Irish centre half” – lofty praise indeed.

Therefore, even with the title of most Premier League own goals to his name, Dunne – who admires Virgil van Dijk – could not be held down as he cemented himself firmly in Republic of Ireland folklore.

Who did Richard Dunne represent at club level?

Younger readers may recall Dunne playing for Aston Villa and QPR – where he made 111 and 69 appearances respectively – but the Irishman actually made his name at Manchester City, joining before Sheikh Mansour turned the Citizens into a footballing juggernaut.

The defender made 352 appearances for Manchester City – after impressing across 69 games with Everton, where he emerged from the academy in 1996.

Dunne – who was critical of Erik ten Hag – eventually retired from professional football in May 2015, just under a year after retiring from international duty in July 2014.