"Did not really live up to the hype" - Claim made involving David Dunn at Birmingham City | OneFootball

FLW's Blues' fan pundit has recalled David Dunn's under-performing spell at the club from 2003 to 2007

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

England international midfielder David Dunn has been outlined as one of Birmingham City's biggest under-achieving signings of the modern era after he joined the club from Blackburn Rovers in 2003.

Dunn burst onto the scene as a teenager with Rovers in 1998/99, just a year after being recruited to their youth setup, and spent five seasons as one of their standout players in both the top-flight and second-tier, while he earned a maiden call-up to the national team in 2002.

The attacking midfielder joined Blues for a reported £5.5 million on a four-year contract in 2003, as he became their club-record signing at 23-years-old, and was lauded as a marquee acqusition as Steve Bruce's side looked to kick on in the Premier League.

Dunn, though, failed to live up to the high expectations set by his time at Blackburn and the transfer fee paid, and picked up numerous injuries while only featuring 69 times for Blues across four seasons, before a return to Ewood Park in January 2007.

David Dunn flopped at Birmingham City

Dunn started pretty well at St. Andrews, as he scored winners in games against Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United early in the 2003/04 season, but is probably best remembered at the club for his failed rabona shot in the Second City derby against Aston Villa, which went down in Premier League folklore.

He missed large parts of each of his three-and-a-half seasons at the club due to respective injuries, and Birmingham suffered an unfortunate relegation to the Championship in 2006, with him then returning to Blackburn six months later in a move that signified how his time in the West Midlands had not gone to plan.

As a result of his tough spell, FLW's Blues fan pundit, Mike Gibbs, identified Dunn when he was asked who was the most notable player that had arrived at the club in recent years with lots of hype, but ultimately under-delivered.

“I think there have been loads of players that have arrived with a lot of hype and failed to deliver," Mike told FLW.

“I certainly remember the early Premier League years, when I’d say we invested in proven quality players, however, you could potentially substitute that phrase with ‘journeymen.’

“The likes of Jiří Jarošík, and other players of that ilk that came in, (David) Bentley, but the one that stands out for me is David Dunn.

“He was our record signing at the time, had tons of potential, but he just never really fulfilled it.

“He was constantly injured, and just did not really live up to the hype, I think. He could have been an absolute game-changer, but we didn’t see the best of him in royal blue.”

Dunn admitted that his Blues spell did not work out

Dunn returned to Blackburn and became a vital player for the Ewood Park outfit once again over the next seven years, so would likely have been pleased that his failed move to Birmingham had not tarnished his reputation with Rovers' fans.

There is not any bad blood between Birmingham supporters and Dunn, as the feeling over his Blues spell is clearly mutual, and he reinforced that notion in a 2007 interview in which he admitted that he regretted the move.

"I've no regrets about going. I enjoyed my time there and made some good friends," he told the Lancashire Telegraph.

"But I think I should have gone down other avenues - I don't think Birmingham was the right club for me.

"I made a good start to my career there and maybe that papered over the cracks a bit.

"I have some fond memories of my time with them and when I did play, I enjoyed it.

"If I'm being honest, I never really wanted to go from here in the first place.

"I don't think (Birmingham) did everything they could have done (to keep him fit).

"There was more they could have done. It was my fault as well, and I won't just blame the staff at Birmingham, but they could have been stronger."

It is pretty clear that, if things could be played out again, Dunn would not go through with the transfer to save both parties a lot of time, money and effort, which is understandable when his record at the club is laid out bare.

He did not feature over 21 times in the league in any of his seasons at St. Andrews, and scored just eight goals for the club, so can certainly be considered a flop, given the fee paid.