Blackrock football player Jimmy Dunne described his goal last Saturday for QPR as one of the most emotional goals of his career. The 27 year old former Manchester Utd academy product has become a mainstay in the QPR defence since joining the London club in 2021 and despite playing as a central defender he has shown an eye for goal for the Londoners by scoring no less than eight times over the past three seasons.
Jimmy took to the pitch for QPR on Saturday just one day after burying his father Eamonn who passed away last Monday. Eamonn, originally from Dublin, was a hugely popular figure locally having played and managed with Geraldines GFC as well as playing for Louth back in the 90’s. The secondary teacher was diagnosed with cancer in 2020 and last Monday tributes poured in for the Blackrock resident when following the news of his passing.
Having travelled back home to be with his family, Jimmy attended the funeral on Friday in St Oliver lunkett church in Blackrock before flying back to London to play for QPR on Saturday afternoon against Norwich City. The former Rock Celtic player put in a brilliant shift and it was his 22nd minute goal which set QPR up for a crucial 3-0 win which lifts them out of the relegation zone in the English Championship.
Dunne is no stranger to scoring goals for QPR having netted seven times prior to Saturday but none of those seven would have been as emotional as the goal he scored on Saturday. After scoring the goal, Jimmy ran in front of the QPR fans before being engulfed by his teammates. As the celebrations died down an emotional Dunne pointed skywards to acknowledge the man who was his biggest supporter and helped him on the road towards becoming a professional footballer.
Speaking to the media after the game, Dunne described one of the most emotional goals of his career.
“It was an emotional goal. Maybe it was written in the stars, the ball ricocheting around me, someone had to put it in the net. Yeah, it’s been a really tough week for my friends and family back home. I just needed to go back to be there for my sister, my brother, my mother, everyone else. I was just really, really grateful that I could get back in time for the game, and that the manager trusted me enough to play.
He went on to say that he felt that his late father had played a part in the opening goal which may not have been his prettiest but will no doubt go down as one of his most memorable.
“To be honest yea. I did feel like that, because it came to me first time and ricocheted back in my direction again for some reason. These things are sometimes meant to be,” he added.