JIMMY Dunne said it was a “really, really proud moment” after he was named the new club captain of Queens Park Rangers.
Centre-back Dunne, 27, takes over from previous skipper Steve Cook for head coach Julien Stephan’s first season in charge.
Ireland International Dunne has made 167 appearances and scored eleven goals since joining from Burnley in the summer of 2021.
“It’s a really, really proud moment,” Dunne said on QPR’s website. “My friends and family back home are all chuffed for me.
“I’m delighted that I’m still a QPR player alongside my mates, staff and people that I love. I feel just as valued as ever. The opportunity to lead the group is also an immensely proud moment.
“I’ve changed a lot as a person since I’ve come into the club. I was definitely a kid when I came here and the experiences with the different head coaches have definitely been very valuable.
“I definitely understand the game a lot better than I did at the start. I’m less emotional in my decision-making than I was when I first came. But I’m still just as eager to win.
“I want to continue to improve and it’s nice to have another head coach that wants to continue to help me with my development.”
Cook, 34, will remain at Loftus Road after activating a contract extension last season.
Dunne added: “Thankfully, I have Steve around who handed the armband over to me and said a lot of nice things to the group about me. He talked about how we can develop our leadership style together, because there are other experienced heads in the group.
“I’m grateful that Steve’s still around so I can learn a lot from him because he’s incredibly experienced, he’s led by example previously, so I’m going to try to take a leaf out of his book. That experience goes a long way when you want to take on someone’s advice. It’s coming from someone who’s been there and done it. It can go a lot further.
“But even just the guys a similar age to me, Jake [Clarke-Salter], Ilias [Chair] and Fieldy [Sam Field], we’ve been through a lot together at the club – different head coaches, really tough times, some amazing moments.”
Dunne also had praise for QPR fans. He said: “They’re the reason why I want to be here, because you can go your whole career and not feel really valued by a crowd.
“I’ve been lucky enough to find that at QPR and I didn’t want to squander that. When the Loft is bouncing, when you’re scoring in front of the Loft and when everyone’s up on their feet singing, there’s no better place to be.”
