Dunne started his career as a trainee at Everton, before moving to the blue half of Manchester, appearing over 350 times for Manchester City in his 9 year period at the club. Dunne then enjoyed a four year spell at Aston Villa, where he played over 100 times for the club in the Premier League. Dunne finished his career at QPR, retiring in 2015. Th republic of Ireland international made 80 appearances for his country, scoring 8 goals.